


Feels Just Like Home

by EclecticIsMyMiddleName



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends, First Crush, First Love, First Meetings, Fist Fights, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, Narcolepsy, Pen Pals, Portgas D. Ace Lives, Storms, Swearing, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-02-20 09:24:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22946761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclecticIsMyMiddleName/pseuds/EclecticIsMyMiddleName
Summary: Ace and Sanji's friendship started out like many - with a fist fight. With their differences out of the way now, they can become proper friends.And perhaps one day, more?
Relationships: Aka Ashi no Zeff | Red-Leg Zeff & Vinsmoke Sanji, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo, Portgas D. Ace/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 33
Kudos: 139





	1. Bad Reputation

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title is from the song, "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett.
> 
> Thanks to Jesse (Vandereer on ao3) for beta reading!! Go check out their stuff, you won't regret it!! ^u^

Ace crossed his arms, slumping in his seat. The sailboat he was in rocked against the gentle waves, but the soothing motion did nothing for his simmering temper.

“Cheer up, Ace!” Luffy said, swinging his feet and beaming. At seven years of age, he was too short for his feet to reach the floor of the boat. But he didn’t seem to mind one bit. “Gramps is taking us somewhere that has really yummy food! Shouldn’t you be happy about that?”

Ace scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Garp’s back. “Why would we want to go to a fancy ass restaurant when we could hunt for our dinner instead?”

Garp let go of the steering wheel to twist around in his seat, giving Ace a stern look. “You’re going to have dinner at Baratie and you’re going to like it!”

“Wanna bet?!” Ace challenged, hopping to his feet and balling his fists. At ten years old, he didn’t cut a very intimidating figure. But that didn’t stop him from trying. “This is a stupid idea! Taking me out in public will just let the world know I exist! Doesn’t that go against the whole reason you gave me to Dadan in the first place?!”

Across from Luffy, Sabo added, “He’s got a point, Gramps.”

Ace turned his attention to Sabo. “And for that matter, why are _you_ going?! Aren’t you afraid someone will see you at Baratie and report to your parents?!”

Sabo shrugged. “I’m just here for the food.”

“For all anyone knows, you’re _both_ my grandsons as much as Luffy is,” Garp interrupted, poking Ace in the chest. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but enough to knock Ace back onto his backside. “So sit down and shut up.”

Ace glared up at him, crossing his arms again. “I don’t even _wanna_ go!”

“Too bad!” Garp said, mimicking Ace’s posture and crossing his arms. “Because I want to have some fond memories of my grandkids to look back on!”

“It’s always about what _you_ want!” Ace grumbled, looking down at his feet. “I never get a say!”

“Oh, be quiet! You always get to do what you want at Dadan’s!” Garp snapped, his posture relaxing as he continued, “Besides, I promised to meet an old friend at Baratie. So we’re _all_ going, and that’s final!”

“Uh, Gramps?” Sabo piped up, peering over the side of the boat. “We’re drifting off course.”

 _“Damn!”_ Garp exclaimed, hastily facing forward and correcting their course.

The boat jerked as Garp turned the wheel, sending all three boys flying onto the floor. Sabo landed on the floor, Ace landed on Sabo, and Luffy flopped onto Ace.

“Can’t - breathe-!” Sabo wheezed.

“Luffy, get your fat ass off of me!” Ace groaned.

“That was fun!” Luffy exclaimed, laughing and stretching a hand out to tug at Garp’s shirt. “Do it again, Gramps! Again!”

Ace shot up, lifting himself up on his hands and further crushing Sabo into the floor. “Do _not_ do it again!”

That led to a quarrel between Ace and Luffy, which at least freed Sabo from being squashed. However, he wasn’t safe from getting pulled into the fight. By the time all four of them had reached Baratie, the trio were less than presentable. Ace had a bloody nose, Sabo had a nasty bruise forming on his cheek, and Luffy had lost one of his baby teeth. 

A fact which he would _not_ stop lamenting.

“My tooth!” Luffy whined, fat tears tumbling down his cheeks. “How am I gonna eat _now?!”_

“Oh, shut up!” Ace snapped, swiping at his bloody nose and smearing it on his cheek. “You have a whole head full of more!”

“But I liked that one!” Luffy cried, balling his fists and rubbing his eyes. “I wanted to pull it out myself!”

“That’s nasty!” Ace replied, forming a fist and holding it to Luffy’s chin. “Now shut up before I knock the rest of your teeth out!”

Luffy obediently sucked his lips in, pressing his mouth into a thin line. Nodding, he could only mumble a response. “Mm-hm!”

Sabo intervened, shoving himself between the two of them. “Okay, calm down! We’re here now, so let’s just eat and we’ll all feel better!”

“You’re such a nice brother, Sabo!” Luffy said, hiccuping and clinging to Sabo’s jacket. Sticking his tongue out at Ace, Luffy added, “Not like Ace! He’s a _jerk!”_

“Why, you-!” Ace began, stopped by Garp turning around and bopping him on the head. Rubbing the bump on his head, Ace whirled around to glare at him. “What the hell, shitty old man?!”

“We’re here, so stop acting like wild animals!” Garp replied. “This is a fancy place, so I want you all on your best behavior!”

“Screw you!” Ace snapped, sticking his tongue out at him.

“I’ll try, but no promises!” Sabo answered, a grin on his lips that was a touch too mischievous to be innocent.

“Do I have to act any different than normal?” Luffy asked, sticking his pinkie in his nose.

With a heavy sigh, Garp ran a hand down his face. “Just don’t destroy the place, got it?”

As Garp got out of the boat to tie it to the docks, Ace grumbled, “Gramps is one to talk about manners! I saw him picking his nose earlier!” He glanced at Luffy and swatted his hand away from his face. “Like _that!_ Don’t do that!”

“You do it, too!” Luffy argued, pausing when Sabo put a hand on his shoulder.

“Guys, c’mon! You can fight later!” Sabo said, gesturing to the floating restaurant. “For now, let’s just go eat with Gramps, okay?”

“Ugh, fine!” Ace muttered, hopping out of the sailboat. 

Sabo followed him but Luffy hesitated.

“C’mon, Loof!” Sabo encouraged, holding out a hand. 

Luffy glanced between him and the water below. His eyebrows tilted up, worry turning his lips down in a frown. After a moment, he finally mustered the courage to lean forward and take Sabo’s hand. But before he could, Garp clamped a big hand around the collar of Luffy’s shirt.

“C’mon, kiddo!” Garp said, hefting Luffy up by his shirt and plopping him onto the dock. “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Luffy smiled from ear-to-ear. “Thanks, Gramps!”

Garp mirrored his grandson’s grin, then said, “Now, let’s get inside and-!” Luffy was on his feet and booking it for the entrance before Garp could even finish his sentence. Garp took off after him. “Hey! Wait a second, you brat!”

“Luffy, wait up!” Sabo called, dashing after him and Garp.

Ace paused, flicking his gaze at the sailboat, then the restaurant.

“I _could_ sail back home and forget this stupid dinner plan,” Ace mumbled, shaking his head. “But then Luffy and Sabo would have no way to get home. And Gramps would kick my ass for leaving them behind.” He ran a hand through his hair, yanking it hard to vent at least a little bit of his frustration. _“Fine!_ I can survive one stupid dinner, can’t I?”

Ace took his sweet time strolling into the place. 

When he reached the reservation podium, the waiter looked down his nose at him. “Let me guess, you’re with the two rowdy boys and their grandfather that just came in?”

“Yeah, _and?_ Am I not _fancy_ enough for your shitty restaurant?” Ace challenged, sticking his hands in his pockets and standing taller. “It’s not like I _want_ to be here in the first place!”

The waiter sighed, closing his eyes as if the whole situation was simply not worth his time. “Just take a seat with them, young man.”

Ace scowled, spitting on the ground before stalking past.

It wasn’t hard to find his grandfather and brothers. They were at a corner table and being louder than any other customers. Luffy was banging on the table and demanding food. Garp was yelling at him to mind his manners (not that Luffy _had_ any). Sabo was slumping with his head on the table, already given up on trying to stop the others from causing a scene.

When Ace reached the table, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and paused. Looking towards the spiral staircase leading to the floor above, Ace saw a little blond boy about his age staring back at him. 

“Who the hell is that?” Ace said, but his family didn’t hear him over their own ruckus. “What’s _his_ problem?”

The boy was barely taller than the railing, yet was fixing Ace with a glare cold enough to freeze Hell over. The icy look suited his blue eyes; at least, Ace assumed both of them were blue. The boy’s hair was straight and parted to cover his left eye. The most striking thing about him was the curly eyebrow above his visible eye. Said brow furrowed as the boy caught Ace staring. Instead of breaking eye contact or running away, the boy held his gaze.

A voice on the floor above the dining room boomed, _“Sanji!_ Get back to the kitchen, eggplant!”

The boy broke eye contact and glared up at the top of the stairs. He cast Ace one last chilly look before disappearing up the stairs.

“The hell was _that_ about?!” Ace remarked, shaking his head and turning to his family. He yanked out a seat at the end of the table and climbed into it. The minute he got comfortable, Luffy started pestering him to switch seats. While he and Luffy bickered, Garp turned his attention to the spiral staircase.

Sabo followed his gaze, perking up and elbowing Ace in the ribs. 

“What?!” Ace snapped, turning his glare on Sabo. “Can’t you see I’m-?!” Sabo pointed at the staircase and Ace twisted around. Coming down the staircase was none other than the blond boy from before. “Oh, great. What does _he_ want?”

Behind him, an older man followed at a slower pace. He leaned against the railing with each step, compensating for the peg leg that replaced the lower half of his right leg.

The boy came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the older man to catch up.

A sudden _bang_ on the table caught the three boys by surprise, and they turned their attention to Garp. He had slammed a fist down, and now wore a serious expression. “Listen, you three. This man coming up to our table now is the owner of this place, _and_ the friend I promised to meet. Remember what I said about being on your best behaviors?”

Sabo and Luffy nodded while Ace rolled his eyes.

“Don’t give me that attitude!” Garp snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Ace. “And don’t give _him_ any of that attitude, either! Or his boy, for that matter!”

Ace raised an eyebrow. “That skinny blond brat is his son?” Glancing over at the approaching pair, Ace snorted. “They both look grouchy as fuck. I can see it.”

“Don’t be a brat!” Garp berated, knocking Ace on the head with his knuckles. 

“Go to hell,” Ace muttered, gritting his teeth and rubbing his head.

At last, the pair reached the table. 

The older man was also blond, looking to be in his midlife with wrinkles around piercing eyes. The most noticeable thing about his appearance - other than the towering chef’s hat he wore - was his impressive mustache. Twin, blond braids about a foot in length, tied off with blue bows.

When he spoke, his voice was gravelly. “So, you finally took up my offer to eat here? You got guts, you Marine dog!”

Sabo leaned forward, cupping a hand to his mouth and whispering, “Gramps? Is this guy your enemy?”

“Hold on, kid,” Garp replied, holding up a hand. Grinning, he kept his gaze fixed on the owner. “Zeff, you grizzled old codger! Wanna know _why_ I never set foot in here before today?!”

The owner - Zeff - laughed and crossed his arms. “Because you’re afraid I could still kick your ass with only one leg?”

“I’d like to see you try it!” Garp exclaimed, getting to his feet. Stepping forward, he pulled Zeff into a crushing hug, which the other man returned with a firm pat on the back. “It’s good to see you’ve finally realized your dream, old friend!”

The boy beside him stepped back, looking up and down at the display with a curled lip. 

Even though Ace didn’t always see eye-to-eye with his grandfather, seeing someone show disgust at Garp set something off in him. His ever-simmering temper boiled and he snapped, “The hell is your problem, Blondie?!”

The boy startled, whipping his head in Ace’s direction. His expression pinched, brow furrowing and mouth becoming a hard line. For the first time since Ace and his family had walked in, the boy spoke. 

“‘Blondie’?!” he repeated, balling his fists. “I have a _name,_ you shitty country bumpkin!”

Garp and Zeff had broken apart as soon as Ace opened his mouth. At the boy’s response, Zeff was swinging a leg up and knocking him in the back of the head with his peg leg.

 _“Sanji!”_ Zeff exclaimed, lowering his leg while the boy - Sanji - rubbed the bump on his head. “Don’t be rude to customers, shitty eggplant!”

“‘Eggplant’?” Sabo piped up, grinning. He leaned over to peer around Ace. “You don’t look like one to me!”

Ace snickered at the blush on Sanji’s cheeks. “What a stupid nickname!”

Luffy stretched his arm and punched Ace in the back of the head. “Ace, don’t be mean!”

Ace put a hand to the back of his head and whirled around, growling at his brother. When a snort reached his ears, he paused and turned back to Sanji.

“At least someone in your group has manners!” Sanji remarked, a mean little smile on his lips.

 _“‘Scuse me?”_ Ace asked, his voice getting eerily calm as his temper got worse.

“Oh, no.” Sabo tugged on Ace’s shoulder. “C’mon, Ace! Just ignore him so we can eat!”

“Yeah, I’m hungry!” Luffy added, banging his fists on the table for emphasis.

Garp sighed, turning to Zeff. “Should we let them have it out?”

“Not in my restaurant, they won’t!” Zeff replied, picking up Sanji by the collar of his shirt. 

Ace tried to scramble away but Garp stepped in and snatched _him_ by the collar, as well. 

Luffy shot his hand in the air, standing in his seat. “Can we watch Ace kick Sanji’s ass while we eat?”

“This isn’t a dinner theater, Loof!” Sabo exclaimed, hesitating a moment before adding, “But really, _can_ we watch Ace kick his ass?”

“Shut the hell up!” Sanji snapped, trying to wriggle free by kicking his legs. Squirming in Zeff’s grip did nothing for his dignity, but that didn’t stop him. “Why do you think _I’d_ lose?! I’ll kick this country bumpkin’s ass in two minutes and then be back to work!”

“Stop callin’ me that!” Ace shouted, also trying in vain to squirm free. “I ain’t no country bumpkin! I live with a bunch of mountain bandits, you asshole!”

Garp laughed a little too loud and flung Ace over his shoulder like a sack of angry potatoes. “Alright, you two! Shut the hell up and let’s find you a place you can duke it out!”

“Let’s take ‘em out front to the dock,” Zeff said, already leading the way with Sanji in tow.

As Garp followed, he lowered his voice and said to Ace, “Don’t get too specific there, brat. In case anyone was listening too closely and figures out where you’re from.”

“Like you aren’t a big blabbermouth yourself!” Ace huffed, giving up on trying to get free and halfheartedly kicking Garp in the chest.

“Hey, wait up!” Luffy exclaimed, hopping out of his seat and chasing after them. “I wanna see Ace kick his ass!”

“Me, too!” Sabo added, jumping off his seat and following his little brother.

The waiter at the reservation podium just shook his head, burying his face in his palm as the group passed through the entrance.

Zeff plopped Sanji down on his backside as soon as they stepped onto the dock. Putting his hands on his hips, Zeff sent a stern look down at Sanji. “Well, shitty brat, the day has finally come when that damn attitude of yours has gotten you into trouble that I can’t bail you out of!”

“I’m not asking you to bail me out, old geezer!” Sanji replied, scrunching up his face in an annoyed expression. “I can fight my own battles!”

Garp laughed, hefting Ace onto the dock, who landed on his back with a _thud._ “It’s good that you’re so confident in yourself, because my grandson is one hell of a fighter!”

Ace sat up with a groan, one hand clutching the back of his neck. “After I kill this stuck-up brat, I’m gonna kill _you,_ old man!”

“See what I mean?!” Garp remarked, guffawing as Ace jumped to his feet. “He’s a real spitfire!”

“I’ll show _you-!”_ Ace snarled, curling his fists and bending his legs. 

Before he could pounce, Sanji interrupted him. “Hey! Your fight is with _me,_ shithead!”

“Right.” Ace straightened, letting his fists fall to his sides and turning on his heel. “Ready when you are, _Blondie.”_

Sanji got to his feet, face turning red as he bared his teeth in a snarl. “Don’t call me that!”

“Make me stop, then!” Ace shouted, charging towards him at full speed. 

Sanji stood his ground. At the last second, he swiveled on the ball of his foot. With a spin, his heel smacked into the back of Ace’s head. 

Staggering forward, Ace touched his fingers to the afflicted area. His hand came away blood-free, but the hit still made his temper flare.

“Whoa!” Luffy exclaimed, peering around Garp’s leg. “Blondie landed a hit!”

Sanji turned his icy glare on Luffy. “That isn’t my name!”

Sabo leaned around Garp’s other leg and snickered. “Yeah, Loof! His name is, ‘eggplant’, remember?”

“That ain’t it, either!” Sanji snapped. “I swear, when I’m done with _this_ shithead, you two are next!”

Taking advantage of his opponent being distracted, Ace rushed at Sanji’s back. He tackled him to the ground, sitting on his middle to keep him there. Lacing his fingers together, he clasped his hands and raised them above his head. 

Before he could strike, Garp cleared his throat. “Easy, brat! You aren’t allowed to kill him!”

That second of hesitation gave Sanji a chance to retaliate. His leg swung up, heel landing between Ace’s shoulder blades.

Ace’s back bent like a bow and he cried out. _“Ow!_ You sneaky fuck!”

Sanji grasped the nearest plank of the dock and hauled himself out from under Ace. Twisting, his leg reared back. There was a spurt of blood as his heel connected with Ace’s nose. 

Dazed, Ace landed on his back with a _thud._ But in the few seconds it took for Sanji to get on his feet again, Ace had recovered.

“Nice hit, _Blondie.”_ Ace thumbed away a trickle of blood down his chin. “Hope you enjoyed it, ‘cause I’m not holding back anymore.”

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?” Sanji retorted, tapping his foot on the dock a few times before assuming a fighting stance. “Bring it, bumpkin.”

Ace charged forward again, a fist reared back. 

Sanji dashed forward, too. 

Right before Ace let his fist fly, Sanji jumped into the air. Instinct kicked in just in time for Ace to bend backwards. He narrowly avoided Sanji’s kick, the blond’s heel scraping the tip of his nose.

Ace heard him hit the dock. Before he could react, the hard rubber heel of Sanji’s boot smacked him the back of the head. The impact made Ace’s vision go blurry and he stumbled to his knees. He fell forward onto his hands. In the midst of his dizziness, he found the strength to glance over his shoulder.

That blond brat had done a handstand and spun around! _That_ was how he managed to strike him so quickly!

“Ace!” Luffy exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. “C’mon, Ace! You can do it!”

“Yeah, Ace!” Sabo added, mimicking Luffy’s pose with his own fist in the air. “You’ve beaten stronger than this eggplant!”

Sanji righted himself and glared at the two of them. “Stop calling me that!”

Distracted again, he didn’t notice until it was too late that his opponent was on his feet again. 

Ace’s fist cracked across Sanji’s face. 

Then again as he twisted, sending his other fist flying.

Sanji staggered back, swaying on his feet.

Ace’s knuckles smashed underneath Sanji’s chin in a wicked uppercut. 

Sanji stumbled back further, landing on his ass hard. Dazed, he tried to stand on wobbly legs, but Ace was faster. His hands curled around Sanji’s collar, yanking the other boy to his feet. 

“Still think I’m nothing but a bumpkin, Blondie?” Ace snarled, rearing his head back to deal the finishing blow. With a grunt, Ace crashed their heads together in a headbutt.

Pain erupted through Ace’s skull. His grip on Sanji’s collar faltered and the blond slipped free. A thin trail of blood seeped down Ace’s forehead from a cut in his hairline. A giant bruise was already forming in the middle of Sanji’s forehead.

Equally dazed and beaten, the both of them stumbled backwards and landed on their backs. 

Garp burst into laughter while Zeff shook his head.

“Looks like no one won _that_ one, huh?” Zeff observed, stroking his mustache. “That eggplant has a few more tricks to learn from me before he’s beating anyone in a fight.”

“I don’t know about that!” Garp replied, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest proudly. “Anyone that can go toe-to-toe with my grandson is pretty strong in their own right!”

Luffy tilted his head, frowning. “So...did Ace lose?”

Sabo shook his head. “Of course not!” 

“But he didn’t win?” Luffy continued, mimicking Zeff and stroking his non-existent mustache.

Sabo hesitated. “Uh, no. I guess he didn’t?”

“It was a draw, kid,” Zeff clarified, crossing to where Sanji lay passed out. Putting his hands on his hips, Zeff nudged him in the side with his peg leg. “Hey, eggplant. Wake up.” Sanji didn’t and Zeff jammed his peg leg into the boy’s gut. “I said wake up, shitty eggplant! We got customers to serve!”

Sanji wheezed, coming back to his senses. When Zeff removed his peg leg, Sanji sat up and clutched his belly. Coughing, he glared up at him. “Screw you, shitty old geezer!”

“Insults won’t fill our customers’ bellies!” Zeff replied, grabbing Sanji’s collar and hoisting him to his feet. “Now, c’mon! Let’s get back to work!”

“Whatever, old man,” Sanji muttered, looking down at his shoes. Tears budded in the corners of his eye, shame at the outcome of the fight painted all over his face.

Zeff sighed and gave the boy a firm pat on the head. “Save that for later. We’ve got work to do now.”

Sanji scrubbed at his eye with the back of his hand. “Right.”

“Wait!”

Ace sat up, wincing and putting a hand to his forehead. When he pulled his hand back, blood stained his fingertips. Scowling, he stood on wobbly legs.

“Wait,” he repeated, stomping over to Sanji. The other boy tensed as he got near, hands balling into fists. But Ace stopped a foot away, sticking a hand out between them. “That was a good fight. For a stuck-up brat like you.”

Sanji glanced from Ace’s face to his outstretched hand and back again. Slowly, he placed his hand in Ace’s.

A grin broke out on Ace’s lips as he shook Sanji’s hand. “I’ll kick your ass next time, for sure!”

That made a cocky little smirk appear on Sanji’s face and he squeezed Ace’s hand harder. “Yeah, right! Like a bumpkin like you could beat me!”

“I almost did!” Ace pointed out, squeezing Sanji’s hand in return. His grip was stronger, so Sanji dug his blunt nails into Ace’s skin in retaliation.

“Then I’ll get stronger until I can pulverize you!” Sanji promised, a competitive glint in his eyes that Ace shared.

“Alright, you two!” Garp interrupted, rapping his knuckles on top of Ace’s head. Ace let go of Sanji’s hand and sent a warning glare up at his grandfather. “Enough boasting for now! It’s time to order our dinner!”

 _“Yahoo!”_ Luffy exclaimed, making a break for the entrance. “First one there gets to order first!”

“No way! That’s not how it works!” Sabo shouted, starting after him, then pausing. Something rooted his feet to the spot, even after Garp and Zeff had brushed by him. 

Sabo glanced back at Sanji and Ace. 

His brother was back to grinning at Sanji, socking him in the arm with a fist. After knowing Ace for five years, Sabo knew this was how Ace showed affection. When Sanji returned the gesture - ramming his fist into Ace’s shoulder - Ace just laughed. 

A content smile spread across Sabo’s lips. As happy as he was for his brother though, he couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Did ya make a friend, Ace?”

Ace and Sanji faced him, glancing at each other then turning pink.

“Shut up, Sabo!” Ace snapped, his usual angry mask slipping back on.

“Yeah, shut up!” Sanji added, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ace turned his attention back to Sanji, frowning. _“Hey,_ don’t tell my brother to shut up!”

Sanji rounded on him. Ace was a smidgen taller, and Sanji stood on his tiptoes to knock his forehead against Ace’s. “You wanna fight again, shithead?!”

Sabo shook his head with a grin, crossing over to them. Grabbing Ace by the back of his shirt, he literally dragged his brother away. “C’mon, Ace. You can have a rematch later.”

Ace stuck his tongue out at Sanji as he let his brother tug him along, his heels trailing on the wooden planks. Sanji mimicked the expression, stomping along after them.

A half hour later, Ace and his family cheered as their dinner arrived at their table.

Zeff and Sanji delivered it themselves. Zeff carried one giant plate in each hand, depositing one in front of Garp and the other in front of Sabo. Sanji approached the table, carrying one plate with both his hands and the other perfectly balanced on top of his head. He placed the one in his hands in front of Ace, then deftly deposited the other one in front of Luffy.

“Enjoy, you damn Marine!” Zeff said to Garp, who laughed in response.

“I will, you salty old sea dog!” Garp promised, digging into his meal with less grace than a Vice Admiral should show in public.

“Hope your backwater taste buds can handle quality food,” Sanji quipped, grinning at Ace and hitting him in the shoulder.

“No matter how fancy you cook something, it always tastes better when you’ve hunted it yourself!” Ace replied, hitting Sanji in the shoulder in return with a playful grin. “You wouldn’t last a day in the jungle! I bet you couldn’t catch more than a mouse!”

“And _I_ bet your food will be gone by the time you’re done boasting!” Sabo interjected, elbowing Ace in the ribs. Without moving his eyes from Ace, Sabo whacked the hand that Luffy was trying to sneak onto Ace’s plate. “Just eat already!”

Ace was about to start devouring his food when Sanji interrupted him.

“I cooked it myself, so you _better_ enjoy it, bumpkin!”

Ace snorted and took a huge bite, then paused. 

It was _delicious._

Way, _way_ better than the food he ate at Dadan’s! 

Sanji seemed to notice his reaction, but instead of a smug smirk, Sanji actually looked pleased. The smile on his lips was gentler and prouder than any expression he had worn so far.

“I gotta get back to the kitchen,” Sanji said, socking Ace in the shoulder one last time for good measure. “See you later, shitty bumpkin!”

Ace looked back at him but couldn’t respond, as his mouth was full. Instead, he watched quietly as Sanji tagged along behind Zeff, following the older man into the kitchen. 

A strange sinking feeling appeared in his chest as he watched Sanji leave. His chest tightened a little, suddenly not as hungry as he was a moment ago. A voice in the back of his mind told him that if Sanji came back out, this uncomfortable feeling would go away.

But there was _no way_ he could voice this without sounding like he missed him! And Ace was much too bullheaded for _that._

Still, while the rest of his family wolfed down their food like starved men, Ace took a little more time with his meal. Sanji had made it himself. Ace wanted to savor every bite; relish every burst of flavor that made the food he hunted for himself taste bland in comparison.

It was highly unusual for Ace to be the last to finish a meal. Yet, here he was; still gnawing on the meat he had ordered while his family was already finished with their meals. He didn’t even hear Luffy and Garp both croon about how yummy the food was. 

Sabo - in the middle of licking his plate clean - paused to cast a questioning look at Ace. “Hey, Ace. Do you not feel good or something?”

Straightening, Ace swallowed a mouthful of food and felt it go down his throat hard. His brow furrowed, his face assuming his usual standoffish mask. “What gives you that idea?”

Sabo shrugged. “I’ve never seen you be the last one to finish a meal!”

Luffy peered around Sabo, drool dripping down his chin and a greedy glint in his eyes. “Ace still has food left?!”

“Yeah, and it’s _mine!”_ Ace snapped, taking another huge bite to emphasize his point. His meal was almost gone by now; just a few scraps of meat and a spoonful of rice was left. “It’s too damn good to share!”

Ace never thought he’d see the day that he’d be _disappointed_ at finishing a meal. How could he ever go back to the bland bandit food he ate before? Sanji could cook better than the entire Dadan family combined!

Speaking of which, the sooner he finished his meal, the less chance he’d have to see Sanji again. Garp would return them back to Foosha Village the moment this forced family outing was over. Who knows when they’d return?

Well, at least Ace could sate his hunger for now.

Ace gulped down the rest of his food and stood in his chair. Slamming his hands down on the table, he looked Garp square in the eye. “I want seconds, shitty old man!”

“Excuse me?!” Garp exclaimed, banging a fist on the table in return. “What kinda way is that to talk to your grandfather?!”

 _“You_ took me to this fancy ass restaurant! The food is damn delicious, so it’s _your_ fault I want more of it!” Ace explained, pointing an accusing finger at him. “If you’d have left me at home, I never would have had it and I wouldn’t be demanding seconds now!”

“In a roundabout way, that makes sense,” Sabo remarked, glancing at Luffy when his little brother tugged on his jacket. “Hm?”

“If Ace gets seconds, do you think _we_ will, too?” Luffy asked, an excited grin on his face. Drool still clung to Luffy’s chin and Sabo threw a napkin in his face.

“Might want to hold your horses, Loof,” Sabo replied, chuckling. “And wipe your face! You’ve got enough spit there to polish a ballroom floor!”

“Who are you to give me orders, brat?!” Garp snapped, poking Ace in the sternum. Ace faltered as the air was knocked from his lungs. But he straightened his back, puffing out his chest. _“Ha!_ What an attitude you’ve got for a scrappy little thing!”

“Shut the hell up, shitty old man!” Ace shot back, putting both hands on his hips. “Just get me seconds already!”

“Me, too!” Luffy interrupted, shooting up in his seat. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he grinned from ear-to-ear. “I’m still hungry, too!”

Sabo chuckled, shaking his head. “Luffy, you have absolutely _no_ sense of tension, huh?”

Luffy paused to glance at him. “Sense of what?”

“Order us _all_ seconds, old man!” Ace demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “And not anything that old geezer makes! I want Blondie’s cooking and nothin’ less!”

“Alright, _alright!”_ Garp exclaimed, putting a large hand on top of Ace’s head and shoving him down into his seat. He reached over and did the same to Luffy, squishing him back into his chair. “I’ll order all of you seconds if it’ll get you to stop yelling so damn much!”

“But Gramps, you’ve been yelling this whole time, too,” Sabo pointed out, sinking into his chair when Garp turned his glare on him. “Well, it’s true!”

With a heavy sigh, Garp motioned to one of the waiters. While he ordered more food, Ace did nothing to hide the smug grin on his face.

Not only had Ace successfully gotten Garp to do what he wanted, but there was a chance he’d get to see Sanji again. If the food was going to be hand-delivered again, that is. In his mind, he had a right to feel smug.

Unbeknownst to them, Sanji had cracked one of the kitchen doors open the minute he heard shouting. Their conversation had drifted up the stairs. Something warm spread through his chest hearing Ace specifically demand his cooking again. He wasn’t even aware of the soft smile growing on his face until he heard one of his fellow cooks snickering.

Sanji whirled around, red-faced and glaring at Carne.

“Looks like you’ve got your first fan, little eggplant?” Carne teased, slicing up some ham at the counter.

“You don’t get to call me that, shithead!” Sanji exclaimed, stomping past him and back to his station. Sticking his nose in the air, he added, “Besides, I don’t hear anyone demanding _your_ cooking!”

Carne sputtered, gripping the knife handle so tight that his knuckles turned white. 

Nearby, Patty burst into laughter. “Maybe we should add _you_ to the menu, Carne? The little eggplant just burnt you to a crisp!” His laughter was cut off by Sanji’s foot slamming into the back of his knee. _“Hey!_ You little-!”

“How many times do I have to tell you shitheads that _you_ don’t get to call me that!” Sanji exclaimed, balling his fists and putting them on his hips. “Only that old geezer is allowed to do that! Now get the hell back to work!”

Patty growled, “Listen brat, you may technically outrank us-!”

“But that doesn’t mean you can order us around!” Carne finished, setting the knife down on the counter with a _thump._ “Don’t forget, _we’re_ the adults here!”

The door to the stockroom at the back burst open and Zeff stalked out. “Oh, really?! Then you two damn shitheads better start actin’ like it!”

Carne and Patty almost jumped out of their skins.

“Y-Yes, sir!” Carne exclaimed, hurrying to resume slicing the ham. 

Patty dashed back to his station. “On it, sir!”

“I don’t pay you two to gossip and complain about my sous chef!” Zeff barked, his peg leg tapping on the floor as he came up behind Sanji. A hand reached down like he was going to pat Sanji on the head, but at the last second, he tugged on his ear instead. “And _you,_ little eggplant!”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Sanji grumbled, slapping a hand at Zeff’s wrist in a vain attempt to make him let go. “What the hell, shitty old geezer?! What’d I do?!”

“Don’t listen when those two try to rile you up!” Zeff replied, showing mercy and releasing Sanji’s ear. “They’re looking for a reaction out of you! It’ll only waste time to give them one!”

Sanji frowned, clutching his stinging ear. With a huff, he turned his back to Zeff and marched to the stockroom. Pushing his annoyance aside, he focused on his current task: refilling the orders for table twenty-three, where Ace and his family were sitting.

As Sanji took his time picking out the ingredients, the warmth he felt in his chest earlier returned. A fluttering feeling appeared beneath his rib cage, like butterflies flapping to life. He couldn’t ignore the urge to grin as he replayed Ace’s words over and over in his head.

_“I want Blondie’s cooking and nothin’ less!”_

“That bumpkin really liked my cooking, huh?” Sanji said softly, loading his arms up with the freshest spices on the shelves. “Then I’ll do my best to keep impressing him!”

There was a spring in his step as he sauntered back into the kitchen.

About a half hour later, Sanji was pushing past the kitchen doors. Like the first time, he carried Ace’s dish with both hands and balanced Luffy’s on his head. 

A tired-looking Carne trailed behind him, carrying Garp and Sabo’s dishes. Zeff was busy preparing another table’s dish, so Carne was forced to carry the other two for table twenty-three. Carne had tried to get Sanji to let him carry all four giant plates, but Sanji’s snappish remarks (and a glare from Zeff) were enough to shut him up.

It took all Sanji’s willpower not to rush to table twenty-three, lest he get clumsy and spill anything. He held his head high as he deposited Ace’s dish in front of him.

“Here you go, bumpkin!” Sanji announced, the butterflies in his rib cage doing somersaults as Ace beamed. “Looks like you have a _bit_ more taste than I originally thought?”

“Or I could just be extra hungry?” Ace suggested, taking a bite of the meat first. He made a noise of approval and swallowed. There was a pink tinge to his freckled cheeks as he said, “You’re uh, you - you cook good.”

Sanji blushed while Sabo and Luffy erupted in laughter, tears budding in their eyes.

“‘You cook good’?!” Sabo wheezed, wiping away a stray tear slipping down his cheek. 

Sanji rolled his eyes as he moved to Luffy’s seat, waiting until Luffy stopped banging a fist on the table to deposit his dish in front of him.

Carne sighed and placed his dishes down. “I’m too old for this shit.”

Ace bared his teeth in a snarl, sending warning glares at Luffy and Sabo. _“Shut up!”_

“Your face is turning redder!” Sabo remarked, pointing at the blush erupting on Ace’s face. Attacked with another round of giggles, Sabo actually fell out of his chair.

“Shut the hell up, you bastards!” Ace shouted, brandishing his steak knife at his brothers. “Or I’ll-!”

Sanji’s hand clamped around Ace’s wrist.

Luffy and Sabo’s laughter immediately ceased.

Ace paused, looking down. “Hm?”

Sanji met his curious look with an icy glare, any warmth in his expression gone. “Knives are not to be used as weapons. Not around me. They’re meant for cooking and eating _only.”_

Objections bubbled in Ace’s throat, but he gulped them back down. Something in his gut told him that this was a sore spot for Sanji. And Ace always trusted his gut. So he loosened his grip and the knife clattered onto his plate.

Sanji let go, standing straighter and letting his hand fall to his side. Rather than being placated by Ace’s actions, he still seemed upset. He was back to glaring at Ace like he had when they had first arrived; donning an expression as piercing as a winter wind.

“What?!” Ace remarked. “I let the knife go!”

“I take back what I said,” Sanji replied. “You don’t have any taste at all. You’re nothing but a shitty, no-class brute.”

“Excuse me?!” Ace exclaimed, his temper flaring. “What the hell do you mean by that?!”

“I don’t talk to brutish thugs like you!” Sanji shouted, shoving past Carne as he dashed for the spiral staircase.

“Oh, _hell_ no!” Ace said, smacking his hands down on the table and jumping off his chair. He paused and twisted around long enough to say, “If anyone eats my food, I’m gonna beat them up!” 

With that, Ace chased after Sanji. 

Sanji raced up the stairs faster than Ace expected, but he could easily match the blond’s speed with stamina. Scrambling up a flight of stairs was nothing compared to the jungles Ace trekked through every day.

Sanji ran out of breath after running all the way to the third floor balcony. He crashed through the door and almost collapsed against the railing.

“Stop - following me - shithead!” Sanji panted, clutching the wooden railing and keeping his back to Ace. “I don’t - want to - see you!”

“Why not?!” Ace asked, breathing hard and leaning against the door frame. His anger settled in the pit of his stomach, twisting into a hard knot. “When you came out of the kitchen, everything was fine! Why did me picking up a knife set you off?!”

Sanji whirled around to face him, his visible eye brimming with tears. “Because you were aiming it at your _brothers!”_ With a hitch in his breath, Sanji used the heel of his hand to scrub away the tears pooling in his eye. “You have no idea how lucky you are to have brothers that care about you and tease you a-and-!”

Sanji turned away. 

The knot of anger in Ace’s stomach morphed into guilt. He didn’t know _what_ Sanji had been through to leave him with this kind of trauma, but he wasn’t so bullheaded that he would keep pressing the issue.

Ace’s footsteps thunked against the wooden planks as he came up beside Sanji. He stood there a moment, letting the wind blow his hair around as he stared out into the sea. Not looking at him made it easier to get out the words sitting heavy on his tongue.

“Uh, Blondie?” Ace began. Sanji sniffled and the sound was like a knife between the ribs. “S-Sanji? I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m-” He swallowed hard. “-sorry.”

Sanji stayed silent a moment, then tucked his blond hair behind with his ear with a chuckle. “That sounded like it hurt. You don’t have much experience with apologizing, do you?”

Red tinged Ace’s cheeks and he puffed out his cheeks in embarrassment. “No.”

Sanji laughed softly, and the infectious sound had Ace laughing, too.

The sun was starting to set, bathing everything in a warm orange glow. The sky looked like a painter’s canvas; vibrant pink blended into soft saffron. The fading light danced on the gently rocking waves, glittering like gems in a treasure hoard.

Ace dared to glance over at Sanji. The sunset’s glow reflected in his blue eye, melting away the ice until his gaze was as warm as a tropical sea. When Sanji’s gaze drifted and caught him staring, Ace felt his heart beat faster.

“Maybe you aren’t a total shithead after all?” Sanji remarked, smiling as he socked Ace in the arm. “You’re not bad for a bumpkin.”

“Gee, thanks.” Ace returned the gesture, punching Sanji in the shoulder. “And you’re not bad for a stuck-up brat!” Sanji laughed softly as he rubbed his shoulder. Ace felt his heart rate pick up again, though he had no idea why. “Uh, c’mon. We should head back downstairs before my grandpa or your old man comes looking for us.”

“I’ll race you there, bumpkin!” Sanji exclaimed before taking off like a bullet for the stairs.

“Prepare to lose, Blondie!” Ace shouted back, chasing after him.

Their footsteps thundered down the spiral staircase, only the sound of their laughter being louder. They both tripped down the last few steps, crashing in a pile with no clear winner.

“That was totally a tie!” Sanji exclaimed beneath the weight of Ace flung over his back. “Now get off me, shithead!”

“It was _not!_ I definitely won!” Ace objected, rolling off Sanji and getting to his feet. He offered his hand to Sanji, who smirked and stood without help.

“There you two are!” Garp barked, marching over to the two of them. Ace jumped in front of Sanji before Garp got too close. “I thought I was gonna have to come looking for you!”

“I see you still _didn’t!”_ Ace remarked, glowering at him.

“Don’t give me that attitude, brat!” Garp replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. “We’re leaving now. I’ll give you a couple minutes to say goodbye and if you aren’t out on the dock by then, I’ll come drag you there myself, got it?”

“What if I don’t wanna go?!” Ace challenged, putting his hands on his hips.

Garp sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “First, you don’t wanna come here! Now, you don’t wanna leave!” 

“I’m allowed to change my mind, old geezer!” Ace snapped, stumbling when Sanji grabbed his shoulder. The blond boy physically turned his attention back to him. “Hm?”

“You probably shouldn’t cause a ruckus in here, or my old man will kick everyone’s asses,” Sanji warned, sending Ace a grin. The crinkle in the corners of Sanji’s eye made Ace’s stomach do a somersault. “You sound like you’re gonna miss me? Is that true, bumpkin?”

“Tch, _no!”_ Ace averted his gaze, the flush rising to his cheeks betraying him. “Shut the hell up!”

Sanji laughed, genuine enough that his eyes squeezed shut. 

Ace’s heart started doing that damn thing again where it beat faster. Not only that, but his palms were warmer than usual and his ears were burning. What the actual _hell_ was going on with him?! 

Once Sanji’s laughter had died down, he gave Ace’s shoulder a pat and said, “Wait right here, bumpkin.”

With that, Sanji disappeared up the stairs and into the kitchen.

Sabo peeked around Garp’s legs as soon as Sanji was out of sight. On his lips sat a knowing grin. “Aw, I _knew_ you and that eggplant had become friends!”

On Garp’s other side, Luffy also peered around his legs. “Does this mean Blondie’s gonna give us free food every time we come here?”

“Shut up!” Ace replied. “His name is, ‘Sanji’! And I doubt we’ll get free food just because we’re friends!”

“Oh, you three think coming here will be a regular occurrence?” Garp interjected, sending a quizzical look down at them. Luffy looked up at him with pleading eyes, which Sabo mirrored. Only Ace kept his usual stony expression. Sighing, Garp added, “We can come here every time I have vacation time.” He rapped Sabo and Luffy on the heads with his knuckles. “But don’t think I’m spoiling you, got it?!”

“Got it,” Sabo winced, rubbing his head.

“Owie,” Luffy mumbled, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. “Don’t be mean to me! I lost a tooth earlier!”

“Hey, don’t hit them, shitty old man!” Ace exclaimed, darting forward to kick Garp in the shin.

“That hurt, you little-”! Garp grabbed Ace’s by the shirt collar before the latter could dash out of his reach. Hoisting him in the air, Garp shook his head. “What am I going to do with you, brat?”

“You can let go so I can kick your ass!” Ace snapped, wriggling in his grandfather’s grip. Ace froze - still as a statue - when familiar snickering reached his ears.

“I thought I told you not to cause a ruckus in here?” Sanji chided, a hand tucked in his pants pocket. He looked over at Garp and tilted his head. “Hey, shitty geezer, mind letting him down for a minute?”

Garp let go and Ace landed on his ass on the hard floor.

“You bastard! I oughta-!” Ace started, hopping onto his feet. Sanji’s hand on his forearm stopped him and his anger was extinguished like a flame. The faintest blush dusted his cheeks as he turned his attention back to the blond. “What?”

Sanji took his hand from his pocket, revealing a scrap of paper clutched in his hand. “Here. This is the restaurant’s number. That way, we can keep in touch!” A competitive grin lit up his features. _“And_ we can schedule that rematch!”

“That’s no good, Blondie!” Ace huffed, shaking his head. “We don’t have a transponder snail back home.”

“You don’t?” Sanji asked, surprise coloring his features. He tapped his chin with his free hand, then suggested, “What about writing letters?”

Ace flushed again, crossing his arms. Embarrassment bubbled inside him and he averted his gaze. “I don’t want to!”

Before Sanji could ask why, Luffy piped up, “We don’t go to school!”

Ace flicked Luffy in the side of the head. “Thanks, Loof! Not like I was trying to avoid admitting that!”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of!” Sanji replied, shrugging. “So you don’t know how to read and write? So what?” 

“I _can_ read!” Ace objected, rubbing the nape of his neck. “And write, a little.” A scowl weighed down the corners of his mouth. “Screw off with that pity, though! Reading and writing doesn’t matter much when you’re living with bandits!”

“I wasn’t pitying you!” Sanji said, shoving the scrap of paper against Ace’s chest. “Just take the damn number!”

“I can help them, don’t worry!” Sabo interjected, fully coming out from behind Garp’s legs. “I have some schooling under my belt.” Sabo pinched Ace’s cheek with one hand and Luffy’s with the other. “But I’ll only help if they promise to be good students!”

“Screw off, Sabo!” Ace grumbled, slapping his hand away and rubbing his cheek.

“Will learning to read and write be hard?” Luffy asked, giggling as Sabo stretched his cheek extra wide. When Sabo let go, it snapped back in place like a rubber band. Instead of exclaiming in pain, Luffy just laughed. 

_“Fine!_ I guess writing letters wouldn’t be the _worst_ thing in the world?” Ace said, stuffing Sanji’s scrap of paper in his pocket. “You better not be expecting anything fancy, Blondie!”

“I’m sure you’ll use your best stationary,” Sanji teased, tucking his hands in his pants pockets. “Now get out of here, bumpkin. We’ve got other customers, y’know?”

Ace nodded, though his feet wouldn’t budge. Part of him really didn’t want to go now; he and Sanji were just starting to understand one another! And as much as he disliked Sabo’s teasing, Ace didn’t dislike the idea of calling Sanji a ‘friend’ one day.

Fortunately, Ace was pulled out of his stupor before he could linger too long; Garp grabbed him by the shirt collar again.

“What the hell?!” Ace exclaimed, the wind knocked from lungs as Garp hefted him over his shoulder. Sanji’s giggles reached Ace’s ears and his stomach churned. Had he ever been so embarrassed in his life?! “Put me down, fucking geezer!”

“I will when we get to the boat!” Garp replied, looking down at Sanji. “Tell your old man that the food was damn good!”

With that, Garp turned on his heel and headed for the door. Behind him, Sabo and Luffy followed. The two of them openly laughed at Ace’s current position, only furthering his embarrassment.

When Garp plopped Ace down in the boat, the boy looked just as grumpy leaving as he did coming in.

“You made me look stupid in front of Sanji!” Ace barked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So what? If he gives you shit for it, you can duke it out like you did before!” Garp reasoned, picking Luffy up and chucking him into the boat. Sabo hopped in all on his own, then helped Luffy sit up. “Now stop complaining and let’s get you three back to Dadan’s!”

“Excuse me for not jumping for joy,” Ace remarked dryly, leaning back against the side of the boat. 

Garp unhitched the boat from the dock and the waves started carrying them away. Every second that ticked by had the distance between them and Baratie growing. Pangs of discomfort seized Ace’s chest, like something was gnawing at his insides with the intent to leave him hollow.

A sharp pain in his ribs snapped him back to reality and he slapped at Sabo’s arm. “Stop elbowing me, dammit!”

“Then don’t complain to me when you miss a last look at your new friend!” Sabo replied, pointing towards Baratie.

Ace stumbled over himself in his hurry to the back end of the boat. Just as Sabo had said, Sanji was standing on the edge of the dock. The wind tangled up his blond hair as he stood on tiptoes, waving both his arms in goodbye. 

A rush of elation crashed over Ace, and he got to his feet. He waved an arm in the air, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Goodbye, Blondie!”

Luffy laughed as he hopped to his feet, throwing both hands in the air and waving with all his might. “Bye-bye, Blondie!” He faltered, then corrected, “Bye, Sanji!”

Sabo joined them, yelling his farewell with an arm in the air. “Bye, eggplant! See you again someday!”

Ace kept staring long after Baratie had disappeared into the horizon. 

“Hey, old man,” Ace said, unable to wipe the smile off his face, energy buzzing through him like an electric wire. “When are you gonna have vacation time again?”

“A few months,” Garp replied, relaxing and tucking his hands behind his head. “Why do you care all of a sudden?”

“I can’t wait to see that stuck-up brat again!” Ace answered, grinning and smacking a fist into his palm. “I’m gonna get stronger so that next time we meet, that rematch is as good as mine!” He turned to Sabo. “I want to start writing that brat a letter as soon as we get back to Dadan’s! And you’re gonna help me, got it?”

Sabo chuckled and cracked his knuckles. “I always like a challenge!”

It took Ace a moment to uncover the subtle jab and when he did, he punched Sabo in the arm.

Laughing, Sabo rubbed his arm and smiled. “Okay, I deserve that! Don’t worry, I’ll help you write him a letter!”

“Good! You better keep helping me, too!” Ace glared down at the floor of the boat. “I don’t want that brat to think I’m nothing more than a clueless bumpkin!”

“I’m sure he doesn’t, even if he teases you,” Sabo said, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Relax, Ace. I’d be happy to help you write him letters, for as long as you want!” 

“Yeah, we can _all_ write him letters!” Luffy added, yawning and curling up against Ace’s side. “And he can send us free food when he writes back to us…”

“That’s not how the mail system works, Loof,” Sabo chuckled. A yawn overtook him, the night sky twinkling above them. Sabo leaned against Ace, already starting to nod off as he rested his head on his shoulder. “Maybe we could write him a letter in the morning?”

“But-” A yawn interrupted Ace, whose eyelids were feeling heavy. “-I wanna write a letter tonight…”

“I’ll still be here,” Sabo promised, looping an arm around Ace as sleep pulled him deeper and deeper into its clutches. “I’m not going anywhere…”


	2. Once We Watched a Lazy World Go By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji gets to visit Ace, Sabo, and Luffy for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from the song, “Love” in Disney’s Robin Hood. Written by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns, and sung by Nancy Adams.
> 
> Thanks to Vandereer for beta-ing!! ^v^

Loud banging on his bedroom door startled Sanji out of the chair he was sitting in.

“Shitty eggplant!” Zeff boomed, giving the door one last _bang_ for good measure. “News coo brought you a letter! Open the damn door already!”

“I’m coming, shitty geezer!” Sanji exclaimed, stomping over to the door and yanking it open. Zeff shoved the letter in the face and Sanji curled a fist around it. “The hell was that for, old man?!”

“For not opening the door fast enough!” Zeff groused, carrying a package up under his arm. “Don’t hold it like that unless you wanna crush it! It’s from your new friends, y’know?”

“It is?!” Sanji hurried to loosen his grip and smooth out the envelope. Scanning the return address, a wide grin broke out on his lips. “It _is!”_

Zeff’s usual grumpy expression softened into a smile. “Hurry up and read it before your shift starts.”

“Right! Thanks, Da-- _uhhh,”_ Sanji began, the word getting caught in his throat. _“Damn_ geezer!”

With that, Sanji slammed the door shut.

When the _tap, step, tap_ of Zeff’s gait faded down the hall, Sanji rushed to his desk on the other side of the room. On his way, his foot slipped out from under him. Pain erupted through his skull as he landed face-first. The letter tumbled out of his grip and he shot back up.

“Oh, no!” he said, scrambling after it. It fluttered beneath the bed, settling on the dusty wooden floor. “Oh, dammit.”

Pain throbbed in Sanji’s nose as he laid down, pulling himself under the bed. As soon as his fingers touched the crinkled envelope, Zeff’s booming voice startled Sanji. The top of his head smacked the underside of the bed frame.

 _“Ow!”_ Sanji crawled backwards until he was out from under the bed, then sat up. His hands flew to his head, gingerly touching the afflicted area. “That hurt! What does that damn geezer want?!”

Sanji leaned down long enough to grab the letter, then slapped it on his mattress in a huff. When he stood up, lightheadedness seized him and he swayed. Pressing his hands onto the mattress, he slouched until the dark spots swirling in his vision disappeared.

“Little eggplant!” Zeff barked, his voice on the other side of the bedroom door snapping Sanji back to reality. “Your shift is about to start! Hurry up!”

Sanji cursed under his breath and dashed to the door, wrenching it open with a glare. “You barely gave me any time to read my damn letter!”

Zeff’s perpetual frown deepened as he looked him up and down. “Your nose is bleeding, brat. Did ya fall on your face again?”

“No!” Standing taller, Sanji scrubbed his nose with the back of his hand. Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed a streak of red on his skin, but he ignored it. “What do you think I am, a clumsy little kid?!”

“Just wipe your damn face off and get to work already!” Zeff groused. “You can read your letter on your lunch break!”

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off to the staircase.

Frowning, Sanji pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and closed the door. A little mirror sat on his desk, and he used it to make sure there was no lingering blood on his face. Once he was presentable, he cast the letter on his bed a conflicted look.

He started forward, then came to a halt.

“If I take the time to read the letter, I’ll be late for work,” he muttered, pocketing his stained handkerchief. “And that geezer will be pissed. But I wanna know what Ace wrote!”

After a few more seconds of deliberation, Sanji sighed.

“Guess I’ll have to wait until my lunch hour to read it?” he said, crossing to the door. He glanced over his shoulder one last time before shutting the door behind him. Every step he took echoed in the hall. The urge to run back grew stronger and stronger.

But Sanji was nothing if not stubborn. Forcing himself down the stairs, he barged through the kitchen doors and threw himself into work. With Baratie’s fame and steady stream of customers, it wasn’t hard to get lost in the daily grind.

Until about ten minutes before his lunch break started.

Most of the staff took their breaks after the lunch rush had ended. It was nearing one in the afternoon, but the minute hand had spitefully slowed down. Every tick closer to the one took an eternity. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” Sanji mumbled, sneaking glances at the clock as he cleaned up his station. Adrenaline was already making him jittery. He was much too excited at the idea that in a few moments, he would be reading the letter Ace and his brothers had sent. “Hurry up, shitty clock!”

“Got ants in your pants, kiddo?” Carne remarked, watching Sanji bounce lightly on the balls of his feet. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“None of your business, shithead!” Sanji replied, glaring at the minute hand, as if that would make it speed up. “I got a letter from my friends and I wanna read it!”

“Oh, the new friends you made earlier this week?” Carne asked, washing his hands one last time before his break started. After drying them with a towel, he threw the towel over his shoulder. His grin turned into a teasing smirk as he added, “That’s so _cute_ that they sent you a letter!”

Sanji whipped his head away from the clock, his glare settling on Carne. “Shut up, bastard! It’s not ‘cute’! Don’t-!”

A _thwack_ sounded in the kitchen as Zeff smacked Sanji upside the head with his peg leg.

“Stop yellin’ in my kitchen, little brat!” Zeff huffed, then fixed Carne with a narrow-eyed look. With a grunt, he swung his leg up and struck Carne in the side of the head. “And _you,_ stop antagonizin’ him! Or I’ll make you peel potatoes for a week!”

Hissing in pain, Sanji rubbed the back of his head. “Shitty geezer…”

Zeff turned his attention back to Sanji, and the stern expression etched on his face softened the slightest bit. “Go take your break a little early, eggplant.”

“Really?” Sanji paused, meeting his gaze with a questioning raise of his eyebrow. “But it’s not time yet?”

“I don’t give a shit!” Zeff said, putting his hands on his hips. “Last time I checked, _I_ was the head chef in this damn restaurant! And when I say to go on your break early, you go on your damn break early!”

“Ugh, _fine!”_ Sanji snapped, stomping off to the kitchen doors and bursting through them. 

The second they flapped closed behind him, however, he broke into a sprint. He climbed the stairs two at a time. When he skittered to a halt in front of his bedroom door, his heart was pounding and he was panting for air. 

After he stepped into his room, he flopped face-down on the mattress. His hand reached out to feel for the letter with his fingers. When they found the envelope, a broad grin lit up his face. Sitting up, breathless giggles fell from his lips as he opened the envelope. He was careful not to tear up the top flap too much.

The first thing to catch his eye was the little doodles in the corners. They were sloppy little scribbles, done by an inexperienced hand. A tiny note beside them (written in much neater handwriting) said, “Luffy drew these for you!”

“This must be Sabo’s writing?” Sanji surmised. It wasn’t hard to match the wobbly drawings with the even shakier snippets of writing scattered on the edges of the paper. “And that illegible mess must be Luffy’s?”

That left the only other distinct style of handwriting to be Ace’s. It was somewhere between a scribble and something almost legible. Certain letters had obviously been practiced beforehand, coming out neater than others. 

“Looks like that bumpkin really tried to make it look nice?” Sanji remarked, a warmth blooming in his chest. The idea that Ace had put effort into something as mundane as his handwriting just to impress Sanji made the blond giddy in a way he couldn’t quite explain. “I can’t wait to see his stupid face again!”

Sanji settled in, pushing his bangs out of his face so he could read it properly.

_Hey Blondie,_

_You better_ _~~apresiate~~ _ _appreciate this letter. Sabo and Luffy keep trying to steal my pen and paper to-_

 _HI_ _~~BLONDIE~~ _ _SANJI!!_

 _Ignore that. Luffy took my damn paper again. Anyway, I’ve never written somebody a letter before. Sabo says I should ask how_ ~~_your_~~ _you’re doing. So...how are you doing?_

Sanji paused to giggle, picturing Ace writing the letter and blushing at how awkward this whole thing was for him.

_I’m fine. So_ ~~_is_ ~~ _are Luffy and Sabo. You should visit sometime and I’ll show you how to hunt! And then you can cook dinner for us! Luffy hasn’t stopped whining for your food since we left_ ~~_Bart_ _Barata_~~ _Baratie._

The smile on Sanji’s lips deepened, dimpling his cheeks. Pride swelled in his chest that his cooking was so good that Luffy wouldn’t stop talking about it. But the fact that Ace wanted him to cook for them again made the strange giddiness inside him blossom further. Sanji had to put the letter down for a moment to bury his face in his hands.

“That stupid, shitty bumpkin!” Sanji exclaimed, his giggles muffled against his palms. The giddy feeling in his chest gave him a boost of energy, causing him to excitedly drum his feet on his bed. “I can’t wait to see him again!”

When he felt a little calmer, he picked up the letter again.

_By the way, I’ve been training for that rematch! Every day, I’m getting stronger and stronger! Next time we meet, I’m gonna kick your ass!_

“Pfft, I’d like to see you _try!”_ Sanji remarked, rolling his eyes at Ace’s confidence. “I’m gonna pulverize him next time I see him!”

_I’m running out of ink, so this is all your getting for your first letter. Crybaby Luffy keeps spilling it everywhere._

As if to emphasize his point, there was a big black splotch on the paper that vaguely resembled a hand shape.

_Until next time, Blondie._

_-Ace_

Underneath Ace’s signature were giant, messy letters that matched Luffy’s earlier handwriting.

_SEND ME FOOD IN YOUR_ _~~NEKST~~ _ _NEXT LETTER_ ~~_BLONDIE_~~ _SANJI!!!_

Sanji snickered, “That’s not how the mail system works, shithead!”

He reread the letter a few times before folding it with care. When he opened the envelope to put it back, a separate little card fell out. A postscript note on it got Sanji’s attention. The neater handwriting clued him in as to who wrote it before he even scanned the words.

_P.S. This is Sabo writing now. I’m excited to see you again, eggplant! I’ve never had a lot of friends my own age before! Neither has Ace, although he likes to act like he’s too cool for friends._

_Also, I had to stick this note in the envelope when Ace wasn’t looking. He kept scribbling out everything I wrote about him that he thought made him look bad. I’ve known him for five years and I’ve never seen him care so much about what someone else thinks! You must be really special, eggplant?_

“Ace cares what I think _that_ much, huh?” Sanji asked himself, blushing as his smile softened. There was an ache in his cheeks at smiling too much but he definitely wasn’t about to stop now. Not when it felt like a thousand butterflies had been released inside his stomach. “Well, he _did_ run after me and apologize about the knife. So he obviously gives a damn.” 

He pressed his hands to his cheeks, feeling how warm they were under his palms. His heart was beating faster as he pictured what their reunion would be like. Even just imagining Ace smiling at him made him stomach flip and his face burn hotter.

In a softer voice, Sanji wondered aloud, “Does this mean Ace is feeling this way, too? Is he as excited to see me again as I am to see him?”

Sanji took a peek at Sabo’s note.

_Ace is trying to act like he doesn’t care, but I can tell he’s antsy to see you again. For one thing, he’s been a lot grouchier lately, which is saying something!_

Sanji laughed, his heart doing a little skip. “Well, that answers that!”

_I would write more but Ace is starting to get suspicious about what I’m writing. Gotta go, eggplant! Hope to see you soon!_

A fuzzy, warm feeling had taken root beneath his rib cage and refused to leave. Now it wasn’t just Ace that made his heart flutter, but the thought of seeing all three of them again. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were all _excited_ to see him again! They _wanted_ to see him again!

“I can’t wait to see my friends,” Sanji mumbled, a loud laugh bursting from his lips. Tumbling backwards, he landed on his back on the mattress, pressing the letter to his chest. _“Ha, ha!_ I can’t wait to see _my friends!”_

A bout of giggles overtook him, his elation too great to contain. By the time they subsided, his throat was sore and the ache in his cheeks had settled in from too much smiling. Still, Sanji was hard-pressed to find it in him to care.

The rumble in his stomach brought him back to reality.

“Oh, right!” he exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. “I’m on lunch break!” Glancing at the clock, he gasped and hopped off the bed. “Shit, it’s half over by now!”

In his haste, the letter had fallen to the floor. He grabbed it and attempted to smooth it out before deciding he didn’t have time. Instead, he shoved the letter and envelope underneath his pillow for safekeeping.

He was yanking open the bedroom door when a thought hit him with enough force to make him pause.

“Wait a minute, that idiot didn’t tell me where they live!” Sanji exclaimed, ignoring the soft grumble in his belly. “How am I supposed to visit if I don’t know where they’re at?” Sighing, he shook his head. “Guess I’ll have to ask? Not surprised that dumb bumpkin forgot to mention that important little detail!”

Despite his exasperation, Sanji couldn’t stop his smile from returning to his sore cheeks. Giving in to the hunger in his stomach, he closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. He really did _try_ to wipe the grin off his face, but nothing could make it falter for the rest of the day.

* * *

A month passed. Baratie operated as usual. The only difference being that every couple of days, Sanji would get a letter from his friends. And right after the restaurant closed up for the night, he would set about writing a responding letter.

As the new month began, Sanji felt it was finally time to take Ace up on his offer and visit.

 _“C’mon,_ geezer!” Sanji whined, trailing after Zeff as the latter limped down the hall. “Let me visit them! I’ll never ask for another thing again!”

Zeff harrumphed, coming to a halt at his bedroom door. Turning a stern eye on him, he said, “Really, now? Don’t make promises you can’t keep, brat. It’ll make a dishonest man outta you.”

“What if I earn my day off?” Sanji suggested. “Work overtime until I can do enough to earn a free day?”

“As if I’d let you work yourself to exhaustion for a day off!” Zeff scoffed, putting his hands on his hips. “A real man would just outright ask for it!”

“But I _did_ ask you outright!” Sanji protested, throwing his hands in the air. “What do I gotta do to convince you to let me go?!”

Zeff stroked his mustache with a thoughtful hum. “You wanna visit them _that_ bad, huh? Well, let’s see. Your birthday is next month, right? If you work hard between now and your birthday, I _might_ consider it.”

“Then I’ll work _twice_ as hard!” Sanji promised. “I’ll prove to you I’m not some whiny little brat and show you that I _deserve_ to visit my friends!”

“You do that, shitty brat,” Zeff said, angling back towards his bedroom door. “Now go clean your workstation! We open in less than half an hour!”

“It’ll be so spotless that you can see your grumpy old face in it, shitty geezer!” Sanji replied before turning on his heel and making a break for the staircase. 

Zeff watched his blond head disappear down the stairs before opening his door. The hinges creaked as it shut behind him, and he sat down on his bed with a grunt.

Before opening the doors of Baratie every morning, he liked to have a moment of quiet before an inevitably hectic day. Usually, he let his thoughts wander until he felt relaxed enough to face the day.

But today, he reached for the framed photo on his nightstand.

Sanji’s face stared back at him, a broad smile stretched from one ear to the other. Sitting on a chair beside the boy was Zeff himself, a rare smile gracing his lips. It was the grand opening of Baratie, and Zeff had made sure to get the moment immortalized in a photo. Sanji had one copy, and Zeff had the other.

“The only time I see him smile like that is when he talks about the All Blue,” Zeff remarked softly. “And now, when he talks about his friends.”

His fingertips drifted to the glass, gently resting just below Sanji’s beaming face.

“That little brat is growing up so fast. He’s already made friends, even after going through a hell that no kid should have to go through.” Zeff shook his head with a sigh. “That dumb little brat doesn’t realize I’m gonna let him go regardless of how hard he works. What _am_ I going to do with him?”

* * *

On the day of his birthday, Sanji stuck to his routine like he always did.

He woke up at five in the morning, showered and got dressed. Then, he headed down to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before he would have to start work.

But when he walked through the kitchen doors, he was immediately escorted back out by a large hand.

“What the hell?!” Sanji exclaimed, wriggling in vain; the grip on the back of his collar was far too strong. He couldn’t tell who was tugging him along until he heard the all-too-familiar _step, tap, step_ of his father’s gait. “Hey geezer, what’s the meaning of this?!”

Zeff plopped him down in a nearby chair, then pulled one out for himself. Sitting down, he looked Sanji in the eye and said, “You’re not needed here today, brat.”

“W-What?!” Sanji snapped, jumping to his feet. “Are you kicking me out, shitty geezer?!”

“Hell, no!” Zeff barked. “You think I’d be stupid enough to fire you after all the trouble I went to?! I saved your ass and then taught you everything you know about being a chef! Don’t insult me, shitty brat!”

“Then don’t say things like that!” Sanji replied, a hint of hurt creeping into the anger on his face. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore!”

“Don’t be so candid,” Zeff gruffed, reaching a hand out. Sanji flinched, expecting a sharp yank on his ear. But instead, a warm palm landed on top of his head. There was a rare gentleness to his father’s voice. “You may be a shitty, skinny little brat, but you’re _my_ shitty little brat, got it?”

Sanji’s lower lip wobbled suddenly and he sank his teeth into it until he tasted blood. He nodded, and Zeff let his hand fall to his lap.

“I meant it, though,” Zeff said, leaning back in his chair. “You’re not needed here today because you’ve got the day off.”

Sanji stood up straighter, hope creeping into his expression. “I do?!”

“What kind of father would make his son work on his birthday?” Zeff asked. “Besides, I seem to recall a snot-nosed little brat I know wanting to visit a couple other snot-nosed little brats!”

“You mean it?!” Sanji exclaimed, not waiting for an answer before rushing forward. He threw his arms around Zeff’s neck. “Thank you!” A second passed and Sanji realized how awkward a hug might be. Tensing, he started to pull back. “Uh - I didn’t mean-”

“It’s okay, brat,” Zeff said, putting a hand on Sanji’s back. He tugged him into a hug that lasted a few seconds, then let him go. “Now go get packed! You’re staying all night with those brats, so you better be prepared!”

“‘All night’?” Sanji repeated, an excited gleam in his eye. “You mean it?!”

Zeff nodded. “Why would I lie about that?”

Instead of answering, Sanji turned and dashed for the stairs. “Thanks, shitty geezer!”

Zeff watched his son run up the stairs, trip halfway up, then get back on his feet and keep running. _“Tch._ Too excited to even run properly. What a clumsy little kid.”

His smile was marred slightly by the anxiety knotting in his gut. This would be Sanji’s first time away from Baratie - and away from Zeff - since Zeff had saved him. Questions reared their heads in Zeff’s mind; questions laced with a paternal worry that he never thought he’d experience. Not until that fateful day when he lost his leg but gained a brat of a son.

A brat of a son that he’d be devastated if anything happened to.

“Those three brats of Garp’s better treat ‘im well!” Zeff grumbled to himself as he got up. “Or they’ll answer to me.”

There was a _thunk_ from above - something falling onto the floor in the vicinity of Sanji’s bedroom - then the brat’s muffled voice exclaiming, _“I’m okay!”_

Zeff couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. “My clumsy little brat of a son.” As he limped back to the kitchen, he added, “I hope he has a good time.”

About an hour later, Sanji came back downstairs carrying a giant backpack slung on his shoulders. The pack was bigger than he was, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of things. When he walked, he had to lean forward to avoid tipping over.

Waiting by the front doors, Zeff raised an eyebrow at Sanji. “Are you _sure_ you need all of that?”

“Mhm!” Sanji nodded, smiling from ear-to-ear. “I’ve got books and games and cards and-”

“You’ve been planning this for a while now, haven’t ya?” Zeff guessed, and Sanji turned a light shade of pink. _“Ha!_ Let’s go, eggplant! Time’s a-wastin’!”

As they crossed the dock to their boat - the sailboat that they used to make supply runs - Zeff noticed that Sanji’s appearance had changed. He had changed out of his work clothes, now sporting a much more casual outfit; a pale blue button-up shirt and shorts. 

“You’re a little gussied up to visit your friends, ain’t you?” Zeff remarked, chuckling when Sanji’s cheeks turned red.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, old geezer!” Sanji snapped, shrugging off his backpack as soon as they reached the sailboat. He heaved the pack onboard, then hopped in. “Hurry up, old man! Time’s a-wastin’!” 

Just to annoy Sanji further, Zeff took his sweet time getting into the boat and prepping it to sail.

 _“C’mon!”_ Sanji whined, shooting Zeff a sharp glare. “You’re being slow on purpose! I’ve seen you move faster then this when Patty tries to sneak food back to his room!”

“Don’t be so candid, shitty eggplant!” Zeff groused, unfurling the sail and then grabbing the helm. He gave the wheel a hard swing, angling them away from the dock. “Here we go! Next stop: Foosha Village!”

It took an hour to reach their destination. The whole time, Sanji kept pacing back and forth. When he wasn’t doing that, he would double check his backpack. 

After the third time Sanji rummaged through his pack, Zeff gave a tired sigh. “Are you gonna keep doing that until we reach the shore?”

“There isn’t much else to do until then, shitty geezer,” Sanji explained, taking out a book and opening it. His fingertips traced the crisp pages, idly turning a few before deeming the book adequate. Shoving it back into his pack, he added, “I thought they only lived an hour away? It sure feels like longer!”

“We’re nearing the village now,” Zeff announced. “So ya might wanna make sure you’ve got everything before heading out-” He glanced over his shoulder at him with a frown. “-because I ain’t makin’ another trip there and back just ‘cause you forgot somethin’!”

“I didn’t forget anything, geezer!” Sanji insisted, getting to his feet and hoisting his pack onto his shoulders. The boat slid right up next to the dock, bumping it a little and making Sanji wobble. The weight of his pack dragged him down until he was landing on his ass hard. “Ow. Maybe I _should have_ forgotten a few things?”

“Too late to change that now!” Zeff replied, grabbing the handle on Sanji’s pack. With a grunt, he lifted Sanji and his pack with one hand, then plopped him onto the dock. “You’re gonna hurt your spine carrying that much shit!”

Sanji opened his mouth to snap a reply, then broke into a grin. “Is that your way of saying you care?”

Zeff harrumphed, coughing loudly and crossing his arms over his chest. “The nerve you youngins have today! That attitude will only get you into trouble!”

“I’m not hearing a ‘no’!” Sanji jabbed, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “Whatever, shitty old man. Thanks for the ride!”

Turning, Sanji started to head for the town.

“Wait a second, brat!” Zeff snapped, and Sanji heard him clamber onto the dock. Glancing behind him, Sanji watched Zeff cross over to him. “Like hell I’m gonna let you wander all alone through an area you don’t know!”

Sanji scoffed. “As if I’d get lost! Ace gave me very clear directions!”

“And what if that little snot-nosed brat can’t tell North from South? Fat lot of good his directions will be then!”

Without waiting for Sanji to respond, Zeff took off towards the town square. Sanji had no choice but to follow. The whole way through the village, the two of them bickered about whether the directions were any good or not. 

Eventually, they found themselves at the edge of the town, facing the bottom of Mount Colubo.

“This is where Ace said he would meet us,” Sanji said, craning his neck to take in the enormity of the mountain range. “It’s so damn tall! Don’t tell me Ace is gonna _climb_ _down it_ to meet up with us?!”

“I’ve only ever heard stories about Mount Colubo,” Zeff remarked. “Never thought I’d see it in person. They say the beasts that live here are all savage and bloodthirsty.”

“Do they also say what the best way is to cook ‘em up?” Sanji joked, glancing at Zeff. “Blackened or medium rare?”

Zeff gave a soft snort, a small smile cracking his usual stern expression. “Ain’t even a little afraid, huh? Good.”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply, but three dots in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Whipping his head towards them, his eyes widened as he recognized three kids around his age coming down the mountainside. One of them was ahead of the others, hopping down the rocky terrain much faster than the other two.

As soon as the kid in the lead landed on the flatter ground between the village and the mountain’s base, recognition sparked in Sanji’s eyes. 

He’d know that wavy dark hair and freckled face anywhere.

“Ace?!” Sanji exclaimed, a broad grin breaking out on his lips as Ace started sprinting towards him. Laughing, Sanji dropped his pack and dashed forward. _“Ace!”_

 _“Blondie!”_ Ace cried, tossing his metal pipe to the side. He flung out his arms right before they collided, knocking the both of them to the ground. If the impact hadn’t left Sanji out of breath, the force of Ace hugging his middle would have.

 _“Ow!”_ Sanji shouted, laughing despite himself. “You shithead, you’re gonna crack my ribs! Can’t you control your strength?!”

“Shut up!” Ace exclaimed, his words muffled as he pressed his face into Sanji’s shoulder. “I missed you, okay?!”

Sanji beamed, burying his smile in Ace’s mop of hair as he hugged him back. It only lasted a few more seconds, and then Ace was letting go. A small part of Sanji was disappointed at the loss of contact. But it quickly vanished when Ace grabbed his hands.

“C’mon Blondie, up ya go!” Ace said, pulling Sanji to his feet. Once the other boy was standing, Ace held his hands a couple of seconds longer than he needed to. Sanji felt his face heat up a little, and swore he saw a tinge of pink on Ace’s cheeks, too. “I take it that you guys got here okay?”

“Yeah! The directions you gave me worked out fine!” Sanji replied, his smile turning into a scowl as he glanced over at Zeff. “Just like I knew they _would,_ shitty old geezer!”

“Don’t give me that attitude, shitty brat!” Zeff snapped. “There’s nothin’ wrong with a father wanting to make sure his stupid son doesn’t get himself lost!”

While Sanji stuck his tongue out at Zeff (and then promptly dodged a kick aimed at him), the other two kids joined Ace at the foot of the mountain. Sabo came to a halt next to his brother. Two seconds later, Luffy tried and failed to skid to a stop. He crashed into Sabo’s back, falling on his ass while the latter remained upright.

“You gotta learn to slow down before you stop, Loof!” Sabo teased, bending down to lift his little brother up. Once he was on his feet, Sabo let go and pinched his cheek. “There ya go!”

“Sabo, stop that!” Luffy whined, wincing as Sabo stretched his cheek, then let it snap back into place like a rubber band. _“Oof!”_

“Will you two cut it out?” Ace interrupted, punching Sabo in the arm. “You’re making a bad impression!”

Sabo rubbed his upper arm with a scoff. “I think it’s a little late for that, seeing as how your friendship with eggplant over here started off with an ass-kickin’!” Ace flushed bright red and grit his teeth. Undeterred, Sabo grinned. “Combing your hair and putting on new clothes isn’t gonna change that fact, Ace!”

Sanji watched as Ace dusted himself off, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

Ace was indeed wearing new clothes - a red button-up (that was buttoned all the way to the collar) and a pair of khaki shorts. If Ace _had_ combed his hair, Sanji couldn’t tell; it was as wild as ever, with leaves stuck in it from his trek through the jungle.

“You combed your hair, too?” Sanji asked, reaching up and plucking a leaf from Ace’s locks. Giggling, Sanji teased, “Was _this_ part of your plan for dressing up?”

“Shut up,” Ace grumbled, yanking the leaf from Sanji’s fingers and crushing it. “I tried, okay?!”

“I appreciate it, bumpkin,” Sanji replied, patting his cheek before tugging on Ace’s collar. “By the way, why are you wearing it like this? Your collar’s so high, it looks like it’s choking you.”

Ace’s blush didn’t fade at Sanji’s close proximity; if anything, it got _worse._ “Makino um, got it for me. And she said that this is how you wear it properly-”

“Well, no offense to Miss Makino, but it doesn’t suit you,” Sanji remarked, undoing the button underneath Ace’s Adam’s apple. “There, much better! Now you look like the idiot bumpkin I know and-!” He caught himself just before he could finish the phrase. Clearing his throat, he retracted his hands and rubbed the nape of his neck. “A-Anyway, we should get going! Time’s a-wastin’!”

“Are you sure you don’t want a minute alone, eggplant?” Sabo teased, snickering as both Sanji and Ace shot him warning looks. 

Luffy tugged on Sabo’s coat. “I don’t get it! What’s so funny?”

Sabo waved a hand. “Eh, you’ll figure it out when you’re older!”

Luffy frowned, his eyebrows pinching together. “But I wanna know _now!”_

A loud, gruff cough caught everyone’s attention. The four of them looked towards the source and Zeff crossed his arms. He had been watching the entire thing play out with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile.

“Well, it seems I’m no longer needed here! So I’ll be going, but-” He eyed Sabo, Ace, and Luffy. “-you three better not get my brat of son into too much trouble! Or I might not let you back into my restaurant ever again!”

“Never again?!” Luffy gasped, shoving himself between Ace and Sanji. Using his powers, he stretched his arms around Sanji’s middle multiple times. With a determined frown set on his mouth, he exclaimed, “We’ll look after him!”

Sanji squirmed in Luffy’s grip while Sabo laughed. “If there’s food involved, you can always count on Luffy!”

“He’ll be fine with us-” Ace piped up, stammering before adding, “-s-sir!”

 _“‘Sir’?!”_ Sabo snorted, earning him a jab in the ribs from Ace’s elbow.

Zeff rolled his eyes, then fixed his gaze on Sanji. “And _you,_ shitty little brat-!”

“Yeah, shitty geezer?!” Sanji challenged, standing taller. 

Zeff lifted a hand and patted the top of Sanji’s head. “Stop growin’ up so fast, little eggplant.”

Sanji peered up at him with a curious raise of his brow. “‘Growing up too fast’?”

“Seems like only yesterday, I was fishing you outta the sea!” Zeff replied, letting his hand fall to clap Sanji on the back. “Now look at you! You’re a skinny little brat who’s too big for his britches! I should’ve thrown ya back in the sea when I had the chance!”

Sanji scoffed, jerkin away from Zeff’s hand and grinning. “I would’ve climbed back up that shitty rock and dragged you down with me, damn geezer!”

“Save that attitude for Patty and Carne!” Zeff laughed, ruffling Sanji’s carefully-combed hair. Sanji made a noise of frustration and slapped Zeff’s hand away. “Have a good time, eggplant.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Sanji grumbled, running his fingers through his hair to fix it. “See you tomorrow, old man!”

Zeff nodded his goodbyes to the other three, then turned to leave.

“Goodbye, old geezer!” Luffy called, wincing when Ace shoved him in the side.

“Don’t be _that_ rude!” Ace hissed.

“Oh.” Luffy made a thoughtful noise, then stood on tip-toes and yelled, “Goodbye, Sanji’s dad!”

 _“Luffy!”_ Sanji exclaimed, pink exploding across his cheeks. “You idiot!”

Luffy tilted his head. “What?”

Uproarious laughter came from Zeff’s throat as he shook his head, already heading into town. It was nearing noon, and the village was waking up. People were opening up restaurants and market stalls. Children scampered in the streets. Sanji, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy watched Zeff go until he disappeared into the crowd of people.

“Your old man sure was nice to let you come here!” Luffy remarked. “He seems like a good guy, even if he’s super grumpy most of the time!”

“Yeah, he’s not all bad,” Sanji said, a far off look in his eyes. “I owe him more than I can ever repay.”

Ace stepped closer. “What do you mean by that, Blondie?”

A smile flashed across Sanji’s lips, and he turned his attention back to him. “I’ll tell you about it sometime. But not now, okay?”

“Yeah, let’s go back to our hideout!” Luffy exclaimed, hopping on the balls of his feet in excitement. “I can’t wait to show Blondie the telescope!”

Sabo tugged on Luffy’s cheek, making it stretch. “Hey, I said _I_ was gonna show him!”

“Don’t call him ‘Blondie’!” Ace snapped, grabbing Luffy’s other cheek and pulling. “How many times do I have to tell you not to?!”

 _“Thowwy,”_ Luffy mumbled, his words muffled by his stretched face.

“Whatever, let’s just go!” Ace replied, releasing Luffy’s face and letting it snap back. Crossing to where Sanji dropped his pack a few feet away, Ace picked it up- 

-and then promptly hit the ground.

“Ace?!” Sanji exclaimed, rushing to his side. Kneeling down, he shook his shoulder with wide-eyed confusion. “Ace, wake up! Why the hell did you fall asleep all of a sudden?!”

“Easy, eggplant,” Sabo interrupted, strolling over to Ace’s other side. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he nudged Ace in the side with the tip of his shoe. “Give him a minute. He’s got a sleep problem.”

“‘A sleep problem?’” Sanji repeated, brushing back a lock of Ace’s hair from his face. Indeed, Ace’s eyes were shut, deep in the grip of sleep. “He didn’t tell me about that.”

“Ace has a sleep disorder that makes him fall asleep at random.” Sabo bent down and grabbed Sanji’s pack from Ace’s grip. It took a few tugs to wriggle it from Ace’s grasp. “He gets kinda embarrassed about it sometimes, so I wouldn’t mention it when he wakes up.”

“Oh, okay.” Sanji tucked the lock of hair behind Ace’s ear so it wouldn’t fall back in his face. “How long is he usually out?”

Sabo shrugged. “A couple of minutes to a few hours.”

“‘A few hours’?!” Sanji gripped Ace’s shoulder a little harder, shaking him again. “Ace, don’t fall asleep now!”

Sabo laughed, then shoved the pack into Sanji’s arms. “Here, you carry this and I’ll carry Ace!”

Sanji stood and threw the pack over his shoulders. “Won’t he be too heavy?”

“Nah, I’ve done this lots of times!” Sabo assured him, getting onto his knees on the ground beside Ace. He pushed him into a sitting position, then threw Ace’s arms over his shoulders so that Ace’s chest was touching his back. Standing, he hoisted Ace onto his back with a grunt. His hands curled under Ace’s bent knees to keep him in place. “See? No problem!”

“Looks like you really _have_ done that a lot?” Sanji remarked, a small frown on his lips. Casting his eyes off to the side, he muttered, “Must be nice to have brothers?”

“It _is_ nice!” Luffy interjected, his blinding grin a contrast to the deepening downturn of Sanji’s lips. “Brothers help you out of danger-”

“Or get you _into_ danger, in your case!” Sabo teased.

“Hey!” Luffy stuck his tongue out at him. “Like I was saying, brothers are the best! They give you extra food and train with you and-”

“I’ve never had that before,” Sanji interrupted, a soft pink dusting his cheeks. “You guys are lucky.”

Sabo readjusted Ace on his back and stepped closer. “None of us ever had that before, either.”

Lifting his head, surprise overtook the dejected look on Sanji’s face. “Really? I mean, you three don’t look very similar, so I figured you weren’t related-”

“We’re still brothers, though,” Sabo replied. “None of us have any blood siblings, but that doesn’t matter to us since we’ve got each other.”

“And now we’ve got you!” Luffy added, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s upper arm and pressing his cheek against his shoulder. “Were you an only child, too?”

“I-” Sanji began, the words getting caught in the lump forming in his throat. “I - I uh, I-”

“Hey, you don’t have to answer if you’re not ready,” Sabo assured him, letting go of one of Ace’s knees so he could rest his hand on Sanji’s free shoulder. “We’ll be here. Promise!”

“Yeah, we promise!” Luffy said, starting to tug on Sanji’s arm. “Now c’mon, let’s go to our hideout! I wanna show you the telescope!”

“You mean the telescope _I_ said I’d show him?!” Sabo exclaimed, amusement betraying him.

“First one there gets to show Blondie the telescope!” Luffy shouted, taking off for the trees with Sanji in tow.

“That’s not how this works!” Sabo yelled, adjusting Ace on his back one last time before sprinting after his brother and Sanji. “Wait up, you little shit! You’ve got an advantage! I have to carry Ace’s unconscious ass while you’ve got nothing!”

Luffy burst into laughter and the infectious sound had Sanji laughing, too.

“Hey, Luffy!” Sanji exclaimed, and Luffy threw a glance over his shoulder. “I’ve got an idea!”

Sanji skidded to a halt, forcing Luffy to stop, too. Then he bent at the waist, picked up the younger kid, and lifted him in his arms in a princess carry.

“It’s not a very dignified position-” Sanji cast a look back at Sabo, who was still quite a few feet away. Then he dashed for the tree line. “-but it’s faster!”

As Luffy laughed, the two of them got under the cover of the foliage. Branches and wide leaves smacked them as they ran. An ache was already starting to make its presence known in Sanji’s arms. After all, Luffy may have been younger but he wasn’t _that much_ lighter than Sanji himself.

But what his upper body lacked in strength, he made up for with stamina in his legs. They were strong; they had to be to keep up with that old geezer’s martial arts training. He had lost track of how many times that shitty geezer had made him run laps on the dock. 

If he didn’t count the uneven terrain and the buzzing insects, running through the forest with Luffy in tow wasn’t much different than a lap around Baratie’s dock.

Eventually though, his arms gave out and he had to come to a stop. Setting Luffy down, Sanji shook out his arms with a groan. “You’re damn heavy for a little kid!”

“Well, Makino always said I had a ‘healthy’ appetite!” Luffy replied, patting his stomach with a grin. “Do you think Sabo and Ace are far behind?”

“Probably,” Sanji said, leaning against a nearby tree to catch his breath. “I can’t hear ‘em coming through the brush yet.”

“I didn’t know you could run like that!” Luffy remarked, stars in his eyes as he turned his smile on Sanji. “You’re amazing, Blondie!”

Sanji used the excuse of physically exhausting himself to explain why Luffy’s comment made his heart flutter. Waving a hand, he said, “Nah, you’re just saying that!”

“No, I mean it! I wouldn’t lie about that!” Luffy insisted, a somewhat sheepish smile on his lips. Twiddling his thumbs, he cast his gaze off to the side. “Actually, I can’t lie to save my life!”

“You got that right!” a voice shouted, and a moment later, Sabo walked into view. Huffing, he tried to catch his breath. Ace was still snoring away, chin perched on Sabo’s shoulder. “Damn Blondie, you can really run!”

A smile broke out on Sanji’s face again, and he palmed the nape of his neck. “You really think so?”

“Don’t you see me dying over here?!” Sabo shot back, breathless laughter mixing with deep pants. Leaning a hand against a tree trunk, he let go of Ace and his brother landed on the ground. 

“Ace!” Sanji exclaimed, rushing to kneel beside Ace. He grabbed his shoulder, searching his face for any signs of pain. But Ace still snoozed on. “Huh? He’s still out cold?”

“Yeah, he’s a heavy sleeper,” Sabo said, wiping sweat off his brow. “He once had one of those sleeping attacks at the top of a hill, rolled all the way down, and was _still_ knocked out by the time we got to the bottom!”

Sanji suppressed a giggle. “Wow! How long was he out after that?”

“About two minutes,” Sabo said, taking off his hat and running his free hand through his hair. He chuckled as he added, “Luffy said something about dinner and he woke up!”

Sanji didn’t hide his laughter this time, and aimed his grin down at Ace. Brushing away a strand of hair on Ace’s forehead, Sanji scoffed, “Now why doesn’t _that_ surprise me?”

Sabo put his hat back on and leaned down. “Hey, Ace! Luffy’s gonna eat all your dinner again!”

Ace stirred, his eyes cracking open for a brief second. Mumbling something unintelligible, his head lolled to the side and his jaw went slack in a snore.

“Wow, he’s really out this time!” Sabo remarked, sighing and grabbing his brother by the shirt collar. Yanking him into a sitting position, Sabo repeated all the steps he had before in order to get Ace hoisted onto his back. Standing up, he made sure Ace was secure before starting to walk again. “Well, let’s keep going. We’ve got lots planned for your visit!”

“You do?” Sanji asked, rising to his feet and falling into stride with Sabo. Luffy flanked his other side, winding a hand around one of the strings on Sanji’s backpack. He held onto it like a rope connecting them, and Sanji found he didn’t mind. Smiling wider, he continued, “I brought lots of stuff for us to do! Think we can make some time for them?”

“We can try!” Sabo promised, cocking his head to the side. A mischievous grin curled on his lips. “Hey, guess what?”

“What?”

“Ace tried to look nice for you, y’know?” Sabo said, taking advantage of the fact that Ace was passed out on his back (and drooling onto his shoulder). Snickering, Sabo added, “He even tried to comb his hair! But he eventually gave up because the comb broke!”

“It _broke?!”_ Sanji repeated, laughing softly in disbelief. “Still, it’s nice that he tried.”

“Oh, he’s been ‘trying’, alright!” Sabo groaned, readjusting his brother on his back. “This idiot here has been working Luffy and I to the bone cleaning up our hideout!”

Sanji bit his lip, heat burning his cheeks and making them glow pink. “R-Really? All for me?”

“All for you, eggplant!” Sabo confirmed with a knowing raise of his eyebrow. “I told you that I’ve never seen Ace care so much about what someone else thinks! You really _are_ special to him, y’know?”

Sanji’s grin faltered. “I’ve never known what that’s like, to be honest.”

Any mirth in Sabo’s expression fell away, replaced with pinched brows and a frown. “To be special to someone?”

Sanji nodded and Luffy tugged on his sleeve. “What do you mean, Blondie? Weren’t you special to someone before?”

“Well, there was _one_ person,” Sanji mumbled, his eyes falling to the ground. He watched his footsteps as they trekked further into the jungle, keeping his eyes down as the others’ stares seared into him. “Um, I suppose I was special to my mother? She’s the reason I became a chef; she loved my cooking, no matter how bad it was.”

“‘Bad’? But you’re an _amazing_ cook!” Luffy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis. “I could eat your food all the time!”

Sanji’s grin returned. “Thanks, Luffy.”

“If it’s any consolation-” Sabo piped up, and Sanji turned his attention back to him. “-I know how you feel. I’m not very special to my birth parents.”

“Sabo’s parents are two stupid, mean nobles!” Luffy interjected.

“They never valued me for who I was,” Sabo explained, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. His eyes were fixed forward, but they were staring off into the distance. “Only for what I could give them.”

Sanji’s shoulders slumped, a sick feeling churning in his stomach. “Yeah, I-I know exactly what you mean.”

Sabo snapped his head in Sanji’s direction, eyes growing wide. “You do? Were you a noble, too?”

Sanji rubbed his hands on his upper arms, refusing to hold Sabo’s curious gaze. “Something like that...”

Luffy tilted his head, grabbing Sanji’s sleeve again. “What do you mean by that, Blondie?”

“Um, I’d rather not-” Sanji started, startling when he felt a cold raindrop land on the tip of his nose. Looking up, he noticed dark gray clouds were gathering. In the distance, soft thunder rumbled. “Oh, no!”

“Eh, this is just a pop-up shower,” Sabo remarked dismissively. “Happens every now and then around here. I’ve lost count of how many times Ace, Luffy, and I have gotten drenched by a sudden downpour!”

“Well, _I_ don’t want to get all wet!” Sanji objected, dashing for a nearby tree. “Getting caught in the rain isn’t as fun as you’d think, y’know? It just leaves you cold and miserable!”

 _“Tch,_ it’s not like you’re gonna melt!” Sabo remarked, following Sanji beneath the shelter of the tree. Its long branches were full of wide leaves, providing adequate cover for the time being. “Still, I could use a break from carrying Ace’s heavy ass!”

“But Sabo, you just took a break earlier!” Luffy pointed out, sticking his pinkie in his nose. 

“Shut up, Luffy! You try hauling him around!” Sabo snapped, holding out a hand when Luffy took a step forward. “That was rhetorical, Loof. I’m not asking you to carry him.”

“Oh, okay!” Luffy replied, turning on his heel and staring up at the sky. A rumble of thunder rolled through the clouds, and Luffy giggled. “Here it comes!”

Sabo plopped Ace down on the ground at the base of the tree Sanji was under. He made sure he was sitting upright, his back resting against the tree. Then, Sabo took a seat beside his snoozing brother. Leaning his head back, he let his eyes slip shut.

Meanwhile, Luffy had stayed behind, standing out in the open. The rain began to pick up, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. Dancing around in puddles as they formed, he laughed and stuck his tongue out to catch raindrops.

“Luffy likes the rain, huh?” Sanji remarked, leaning his back against the tree and sliding down. Bark scratched his shirt, but he paid it no mind. He was too busy watching Luffy splash in a puddle and get himself all wet. “I used to like it, too. But not so much, anymore.”

“Luffy can’t swim, y’know? On account of his Devil Fruit,” Sabo explained. “Playing in the rain is as close as he gets to swimming nowadays. He told us that he used to be a good swimmer. I wonder what it’s like to not know how to do that all of a sudden?”

“Must be scary.” Sanji brought his knees to his chest, curling his arms around his legs. “At least he has you guys to fish him out of the water when he falls in.”

“He’s got you now, too,” Sabo said, opening his eyes and folding his hands behind his head. “You _can_ swim, right?”

Without warning, there was a tightness in Sanji’s chest. 

A mental flash of a stormy sky. A towering wave crashing into a boat. The world spinning and a tumultuous ocean swallowing him up. The hazy light of the sun getting farther and farther away as he sank like a stone. Heavy limbs and a sluggish mind kept him from fighting back; kicking his hands and legs and swimming for dear life.

“Eggplant?” Sabo piped up, breaking Sanji out of his memory. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Sanji replied slowly, blinking away the phantom image of a dark, humanoid shape diving into the water after him. “Just got lost in thought, is all. Uh yes, I _can_ swim.”

“Oh, good!” Sabo said, jerking a thumb at his little brother. Luffy was busy trying to catch rain in his cupped hands. “Now we’ve got a third person to keep an eye on him! I swear, every time we turn away for two seconds, he’s falling into the river or a lake or a _pond!”_

Sanji gave a halfhearted chuckle. “Sounds like Luffy can be a real handful, huh?”

“You have _no_ idea!” Sabo sighed, startling when a foot connected with his ankle. “Hey!”

Ace made a confused noise, bleary eyes cracking open. “Muh?”

“You kicked me in your sleep, asshole!” Sabo said, grabbing Ace’s shoulder and shaking it roughly. “Wake up, already! You’ve been asleep for like, an hour!”

“It’s been closer to forty minutes or so, but yeah,” Sanji interjected, getting up and sitting down on Ace’s other side. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty!”

Ace shut his eyes in a slow blink, then turned his head to look at Sanji. There was about an inch of space between their faces. The second Ace realized this, his eyes snapped open _wide._

Blushing, he sat up straighter and looked around. “B-Blondie? Sabo? How long was I out?!”

“Forty minutes or so,” Sanji repeated, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Sabo said you’ve fallen asleep for hours before.”

“Not this time, it seems,” Ace muttered, looking down at his lap. “I haven’t had an attack that lasted more than a few minutes in a while.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, it’s not like you can control it!” Sanji assured him, getting to his feet. “Do you feel ready to keep walking?” Ace nodded, and Sanji extended his hand. “C’mon bumpkin, up you go!”

Ace’s gaze flicked to Sanji’s hand for a half-second, then he broke into a grin as he slipped his hand into Sanji’s.

 _“Aw,_ how cute!” Sabo teased, snickering. “Your face is getting all red again, like it did back on Baratie!”

Ace raised his free hand, balling it into a fist. He reared it back like he was going to strike, then glanced at Sanji. He couldn’t read the expression on Sanji’s face, so he let his hand fall to his side.

“Whatever,” Ace mumbled, squeezing Sanji’s hand tighter. “Let’s just get back to that old hag’s before she comes looking for us!”

 _“Then_ we can go to the hideout?” Luffy piped up, still standing out in the rain. Rivulets of it dripped from his straw hat, plopping onto his sandals.

“Yes, _then_ we can go to the hideout!” Ace replied, rolling his eyes. “Damn, he’s been so annoying about our hideout! He thinks it’s so cool and has been itching to show you ever since we cleaned it!”

“Ever since you _ordered_ us to clean it, you mean?” Sabo corrected, answering Ace’s warning glare with a smug grin. “You’ve been just as anxious for eggplant to see it as Luffy has!”

Bright red erupted over Ace’s cheeks, and he opened his mouth to reply.

But Sanji beat him to it. “C’mon guys, let’s get going already, okay?”

“As you wish, eggplant!” Sabo said, giving him a mock salute. Then he turned on his heel and shouted, “First one to the old hag’s place gets to show eggplant the telescope!”

With a laugh, Sabo took off into the forest.

“Hey, wait up!” Luffy exclaimed, his sandals slapping as he ran after his brother. “I thought you didn’t want to make this a competition?!”

“That was back when I had to carry Ace!” Sabo shouted, casting a grin over his shoulder. Right before the foliage concealed him, he added, “It’s fair game now!”

“Sabo, you jerk!” Luffy replied before disappearing into the brush.

“We’d better go after them,” Sanji sighed. “Unless we want to get separated, of course.”

Ace rubbed the nape of his neck. “Yeah...Um, did Sabo - did he say anything about me while I was out?”

Sanji shrugged, a small smile curling on his lips. “He said lots of stuff. Some of it about you. Some of it about Luffy.”

“Anythin’ about me that I should know about?” Ace asked, daring to glance at Sanji. 

He was met with a smirk. “Well, apparently you broke your comb trying to brush your hair.”

“Ugh, _no!”_ Ace groaned, running a hand down his face. “I’m gonna get him later for that! He just wants to make me look bad in front of you because he thinks that I-” He cut himself off, swallowing hard and averting his eyes. Though the clouds cast them in shadow, Sanji could see a light shade of pink covering Ace’s freckled face. “-uh, he thinks it’s funny…”

Sanji bit his lip, stepping closer. “He thinks that you what?”

Ace gulped, lifting his head. Their eyes met. Ace squeezed his hand, and Sanji squeezed back. 

_Boom!!_

A loud rumble of thunder interrupted them.

“Um, let’s get to the house in case this storm gets any worse,” Ace said, reaching up and yanking off a leaf from the tree they were under. It was wide enough that he could hold it by the stem and give both of them cover. “Stick close by me, okay?”

Sanji bumped his shoulder against Ace’s. “Scared we’ll get separated, bumpkin?”

“I mean, if you _want_ to get eaten by a giant tiger, then be my guest!” Ace replied, adjusting his hold on Sanji’s hand so he could lace their fingers together. “But really, I’d prefer it if you stuck close by.”

Sanji felt his face heat up, and his eyes slid down to their intertwined hands. “Then lead the way, bumpkin.”

It was another twenty minutes until Sanji and Ace reached the Dadan house. By then, the rain had slowed to a drizzle before stopping altogether. The makeshift umbrella the boys were using was discarded somewhere along the way. The clouds drifted apart, revealing a cerulean sky and a hazy rainbow. 

“I never knew how pretty the land could be,” Sanji remarked softly, his eyes drawn to the silhouette of Mount Colubo. “I’ve never gotten the chance to properly see the outside before. Just the wide open ocean and a-” Sanji’s voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “-a castle garden.”

Ace leaned closer, eyes going wide. “You’ve been to a castle?!”

“O-Only in my dreams!” Sanji said quickly, plastering on a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “My mother used to tell me stories about princesses in towers and princes on white horses that saved them! I guess those stories found their way into my dreams?”

A wrinkle appeared between Ace’s brows. He opened his mouth-

_“Hey!”_

Whirling around towards the source of the shout, relief flooded Sanji as he spied a lodge past the trees.

Luffy was standing beneath the overhang at the entrance, waving his hands above his head. “There you guys are!”

Ace and Sanji emerged from the brush, still hand-in-hand. Sabo - who was leaning against the door frame - immediately spotted this and broke into a grin.

“See, Loof?” Sabo said. “I told you they were busy! They took so long to catch up because they were too busy _smooching_ to-” Something hit him in the face, and he stumbled. _“Oof!”_

Ace let go of Sanji’s hand to dash over to his brother. He picked up his shoe off the ground - a makeshift projectile to get Sabo to shut up. Slipping it back on, he grabbed Sabo by the collar. “We weren’t doin’ anything of the sort!”

“We were just walking,” Sanji added with a frown, his cheeks turning pink. He didn’t mind the alone time with Ace. In fact, Ace seemed to enjoy his company a lot, and it only spurred on these fluttery feelings inside him. But getting teased about these emerging feelings hit a nerve; it reminded him of people he’d rather forget. “So knock it off, okay?”

Sabo’s hands flew up in surrender. “Okay, okay! I’m done for now!”

Ace bared his teeth in a snarl. “You’d better be done for good, Sabs! It ain’t funny!”

Sighing, Sanji crossed over to them and put a hand on Ace’s wrist. “Let go of him, bumpkin.” Ace continued to glare at his brother, cheeks burning. So Sanji added, “Please.”

At that, Ace finally released him.

“Can you guys keep the arguing to a minimum around me?” Sanji said, crossing his arms over his chest. “At least don’t try to beat each other up. It’s-” Phantom memories of bigger boys his age flashed through his head. Shaking his head, he sent away their leering smiles. “-It’s uncalled for.”

“Sorry, eggplant,” Sabo replied, his shoulders slumping. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Me, too.” Ace palmed the nape of his neck. “Uh, I guess you should meet Dadan, huh?”

_Bang!!_

The front door slammed open and a tall, cigarette-smoking woman came out. Her bright orange curls and sneering lips cut an imposing figure at first glance.

“The hell do you three brats want?!” she exclaimed, her little brown eyes spotting Sanji. Groaning, she put her hands on her hips. “Oh great, _another_ shitty brat! This ain’t no damn daycare!”

“He’s not staying with you, hag!” Ace shouted, shoulders tensing and fists balling. “He’s spending the night with us at our hideout!”

“Oh, yes, your ‘secret’ hideout!” Dadan said, taking her cigarette out of her mouth and tapping the ash off the end. “At least go hunting for us before you drag that brat all the way across the jungle!”

“‘Hunting’?” Sanji repeated, lighting up. “I’ve never been hunting before! Is it fun?”

“It’s _awesome!”_ Luffy said, grabbing Sanji’s sleeve. “Let’s go right now! Leave your pack here and we can go kill some crocodile for dinner!”

“Leave my stuff here?” Sanji hesitated, curling his hands around the straps of his backpack. “But how will I know it’s not gonna get looted?”

 _“Ha!”_ Dadan barked a laugh. “This little shit is smart! He knows we’re bandits, eh?” She leaned forward, a mean grin breaking out on her lips. “Then he should know we’ll gut him like a fish if he so much as _looks_ at us the wrong way!”

“Shut up, hag, you’re not scary,” Ace deadpanned.

Luffy and Sabo giggled as Dadan made an offended noise. “You nasty little brat-!”

“Ace’s right; you’re not _nearly_ as scary as my shitty old man!” Sanji said, squaring his shoulders. “Besides, if anyone here knows how to gut a fish-” A wicked grin spread across Sanji’s lips and he reveled in the little step back Dadan did. “-it’s _me!”_

 _“Tch,_ you’re just as wild as these three!” Dadan remarked, shoving her cigarette back between her lips. “Well then, go put your damn fish-gutting skills to the test and go hunt for our dinner!”

“I’ll do you one better; I’ll even _cook_ it for you!” Sanji promised, jerking a thumb at himself. “I’m gonna be a top-flight sea cook one day!”

“Oh, you are?” Dadan asked, raising a brow. Laughing, she put her hands on her hips again. “If you’re gonna cook for us every time you visit, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having a damn brat like you hangin’ around?”

“Who said Blondie is gonna cook for _you?!”_ Ace interrupted, crossing his arms. 

Sanji glanced at him, his smug grin softening. “It’s okay, bumpkin. I don’t mind. It’s my job to cook for people who are hungry!”

“Then you’re gonna be cooking for Luffy _all_ the time!” Sabo joked, gesturing to his brother. “Look at him, he’s already drooling!”

Luffy was indeed drooling. “Are you gonna cook it just like you did at Baratie?”

Sanji nodded. “Just like it!”

“Then let’s go!” Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms and gathering up his brothers and Sanji. It was a mess of legs as the four of them tried to run at the same pace, Luffy’s arms still trapping them. “Blondie’s gonna cook for us!”

Dadan watched them crash into the jungle and disappear into the foliage. Shaking her head, her smile turned soft at the corners. “Those brats have really taken a liking to Zeff’s kid. It’s nice to see.”

Beside her, another bandit poked his head out of the door. Dogra smirked at her, crossing his arms. “Careful, Boss. It sounds like you actually _care_ about those kids!”

Dadan’s cheeks went pink and she sputtered, “Sh-Shut the hell up! I couldn’t give less of a damn about those shitty brats!”

Dogra snorted. “Yeah, and how long have you been telling yourself that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a twitter if you wanna go follow me there!  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/EclecticWrites  
> My handle is @EclecticWrites.
> 
> I have a tumblr, too!!  
> Tumblr: eclecticwrites.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> I have a twitter if you wanna go follow me there!  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/EclecticWrites  
> My handle is @EclecticWrites.


End file.
